moss

1 of 2

noun

ˈmȯs 

1

chiefly Scotland : bog, swamp

especially : a peat bog

2

a

: any of a class (Musci) of bryophytic plants characterized by a gametophyte having a small leafy often tufted stem bearing sex organs at its tip

also : a clump or sward of these plants

b

: any of various plants resembling moss in appearance or habit of growth

3

: a mossy covering

mosslike

ˈmȯs-ˌlīk 

adjective

moss

2 of 2

verb

mossed; mossing; mosses

transitive verb

: to cover or overgrow with moss

Examples of moss in a Sentence

Noun

Moss covered the fallen logs.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Next, a vast checkerboard field of leftover square paving stones embedded in a carpet of moss seems to dwindle off to infinity in the northern garden. —Paula Deitz, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024

The benefits of mosses are aesthetic and practical. —Steve Bender, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2024

Next to the bookcase was a plastic fiddle-leaf fig, which complemented a nearby bowl of plastic moss. —Anna Wiener, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024

Outside one house stands a dumpster filled with waste while the roof of another is carpeted with a veneer of moss. —Stephen Castle, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024

Here are some ways to incorporate sea moss into your diet: Add sea moss into recipes for baked goods, soup, or stew. —Cynthia Sass, Mph, Health, 17 Apr. 2024

They are sometimes called water bears or moss piglets. —Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024

To take one literal step at a time means seeing what's burrowing in the cracks, noticing the moss and mildew that's accumulated. —Lauren Depino, NPR, 28 Mar. 2024

Oftentimes the large-scale version of this look is accomplished by placing nursery pots inside of ceramic planters and filling the empty areas with paper, rocks, and moss. —Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English mos; akin to Old High German mos moss, Latin muscus

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing moss

• club moss
• Iceland moss
• Irish moss
• moss agate
• moss animal
• moss green
• moss-grown
• moss pink
• moss rose
• moss-trooper
• peat moss
• reindeer moss
• Spanish moss

Kids Definition

moss

noun

ˈmȯs

1

: any of a class of plants that have no flowers and produce small leafy stems forming sex organs at their tips and that grow in patches like cushions on rocks, bark, or damp ground

2

: any of various plants (as lichens) resembling mosses compare reindeer moss

mosslike

-ˌlīk

adjective

mossy

ˈmȯ-sē

adjective

Medical Definition

moss

noun

ˈmȯs 

1

: any of a class (Musci) of bryophytic plants having a small leafy often tufted stem bearing sex organs at its tip see sphagnum

2

: any of various plants resembling mosses in appearance or habit of growth see club moss, iceland moss, irish moss