peat moss

noun

1

: sphagnum moss that has become compacted with other plant debris to form peat (see peat entry 1 sense 1a)

When harvested from the bog, peat moss dries out quickly and is turned into amendments meant to improve drainage and retain moisture in soils.

—Kim Pokorny

The area was so full of peat moss, the construction crew had to dig down three metres to find solid footing for bridge abutments.

—Elise Stolte

2

: dried and processed peat used especially as a soil amendment (see amendment sense 3)

… commercial potting soil contains peat moss, commonly sourced from bogs in Canada, which are exceptional carbon sinks.

—Paige Curtis

Examples of peat moss in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Prepare the pot with a mixture of potting soil and compost or peat moss. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 11 Nov. 2025

Three narratives intersect—a young woman of Iron Age Briton begins her first year as village Druid during the start of Roman occupation; Agnes, an American forensic anthropologist, is asked to examine a 2,000-year-old body preserved in an English peat bog; and that of the peat moss itself. —Audiofile Magazine, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2025

Heath recommends surrounding them in peat moss, dry compost, or dry sand, which promotes a healthy balance of drainage and moisture. —Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Oct. 2025

As firefighters worked through the night to get the fire under control, peat moss that one of the semis was hauling kept catching fire, hindering cleanup and severely damaging the roadway, Fifield said. —Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for peat moss

• across
• backcross
• crisscross
• lacrosse
• recross
• tomas
• albatross
• applesauce
• barabbas
• helios
• kshatriyas
• blas

Kids Definition

peat moss

noun

: sphagnum