moss
[ maws, mos ]
/ mɔs, mɒs /
noun
any tiny, leafy-stemmed, flowerless plant of the class Musci, reproducing by spores and growing in tufts, sods, or mats on moist ground, tree trunks, rocks, etc.
a growth of such plants.
any of various similar plants, as Iceland moss or club moss.
Chiefly Scot. and North England.
a swamp or bog.
verb (used with object)
to cover with a growth of moss: to moss a crumbling wall.
Origin of moss
before 1000; Middle English
mos(se), Old English
mos moss, bog; akin to German
Moos, Old Norse
mȳrr
mire
OTHER WORDS FROM moss
moss·like, adjective un·mossed, adjectiveWords nearby moss
Definition for moss (2 of 2)
Moss
[ maws, mos ]
/ mɔs, mɒs /
noun
Howard,1922–1987,
U.S. poet, editor, and playwright.
Example sentences from the Web for moss
British Dictionary definitions for moss (1 of 2)
moss
/ (mɒs) /
noun
any bryophyte of the phylum Bryophyta, typically growing in dense mats on trees, rocks, moist ground, etc
See also peat moss
a clump or growth of any of these plants
any of various similar but unrelated plants, such as club moss, Spanish moss, Ceylon moss, rose moss, and reindeer moss
Scot and Northern English
a peat bog or marsh
Derived forms of moss
mosslike, adjective mossy, adjective mossiness, nounWord Origin for moss
Old English
mos swamp; compare Middle Dutch, Old High German
mos bog, Old Norse
mosi; compare also Old Norse
mӯrr
mire
British Dictionary definitions for moss (2 of 2)
Moss
/ (mɒs) /
noun
Kate . born 1974, British supermodel.
Sir Stirling. born 1929, English racing driver
Scientific definitions for moss
moss
[ môs ]
Any of various green, usually small nonvascular plants of the division Bryophyta. Mosses, unlike liverworts, have some tissues specialized for conducting water and nutrients. As in the other bryophytes, the diploid sporophyte grows on the haploid gametophyte generation, which supplies it with nutrients. Mosses often live in moist, shady areas and grow in clusters or mats. Sphagnum mosses play a crucial role in the ecology of peat bogs. See more at bryophyte.
Any of a number of plants that look like mosses but are not related to them. For instance, reindeer moss is a lichen, Irish moss is an alga, and Spanish moss is a bromeliad, a flowering plant.
Idioms and Phrases with moss
moss
see rolling stone gathers no moss.