-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
Spanish moss
noun
: an epiphytic plant (Tillandsia usneoides) of the pineapple family forming pendent tufts of grayish-green filaments on trees from the southern U.S. to Argentina
Examples of Spanish moss in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Choose from a number of colors, including Spanish moss and Nantucket red, in sizes XS–XXL.
—Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 3 June 2024
The unpaved state highway cuts through a slough crowded with bald cypress trees laden with Spanish moss and spidery air plants.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 20 May 2024
Riders will be transported to the magical land of the bayou, complete with flowing Spanish moss and water lilies.
—Carly Caramanna, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2024
Today, his professional life is centered around Savannah, a town on Georgia’s coast that is four hours from Atlanta and famous for historic homes on quiet streets lined with trees covered in Spanish moss.
—Todd Longwell, Variety, 9 May 2024
From a humble rectangle of wood, framed onto brick stanchions that kept it hovering several feet above the ground, shaded by the long beards of Spanish moss hanging from the limbs of towering oaks and a hardy pine, a family was born.
—Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 11 Apr. 2024
Not Star Wars–, Harry Potter–, or Barbie-themed but the rarest cacti and succulents, cycads with Jurassic bloodlines, towering prehistoric fern trees, dragon trees, bromeliads among Spanish moss, and so much more.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 30 Mar. 2024
The picturesque plot is accessed via a quarter-mile-long driveway lined with towering exotic trees, Spanish moss, and hundreds of orchids.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2024
Best Things to Do Kayaking Louisiana likely conjures images of bayous with Spanish moss hanging from trees.
—Trudy Haywood Saunders, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Spanish moss.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1823, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near Spanish moss
Cite this Entry
“Spanish moss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Spanish%20moss. Accessed 16 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
Spanish moss
noun
: a plant related to the pineapple that forms hanging tufts of grayish green threadlike strands on trees from the southern U.S. to Argentina
More from Merriam-Webster on Spanish moss
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Spanish moss
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share