moss

1 of 2

noun

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 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
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 Quebec generally lacks the peat and moss soil of the western provinces that serve as fuel for winter fires. Ian Austen, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Loloi Rug in the moss and salmon pattern, and luckily, the 7.6-foot by 9.6-foot size rug is 65 percent off right now. Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2024 These low-maintenance mosses require very little upkeep and can handle a wide range of water and light conditions. Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Feb. 2024 As of February, Graber estimated that Bluesky has 25,000 custom feeds, some of which exist purely to delight users, like one of Graber's favorites designed to churn out appealing photos of moss. Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 6 Feb. 2024 This year marked only the fourth time the zoo has ever participated in the storied event, which attracted nearly 90 floats — each hand-decorated by armies of volunteers with roses, flowers, moss and other plant materials. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Jan. 2024 This got researchers thinking: Aside from mosses, what other organisms could survive a long freeze? Gabe Allen, Discover Magazine, 27 Dec. 2023 When discussing peat moss for gardening, at least in the US, that means sphagnum moss. Dan Nosowitz, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word '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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of moss was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near moss

Cite this Entry

“Moss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moss. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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
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

More from Merriam-Webster on moss

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