moss

[maws, mos] /mɔs, mɒs/
noun
1.
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.
2.
a growth of such plants.
3.
any of various similar plants, as Iceland moss or club moss.
4.
Chiefly Scot. and North England. a swamp or bog.
verb (used with object)
5.
to cover with a growth of moss:
to moss a crumbling wall.
Origin
before 1000; Middle English mos(se), Old English mos moss, bog; akin to German Moos, Old Norse mȳrr mire
Related forms
mosslike, adjective
unmossed, adjective

Moss

[maws, mos] /mɔs, mɒs/
noun
1.
Howard, 1922–1987, U.S. poet, editor, and playwright.
British Dictionary definitions for moss

moss

/mɒs/
noun
1.
any bryophyte of the phylum Bryophyta, typically growing in dense mats on trees, rocks, moist ground, etc See also peat moss
2.
a clump or growth of any of these plants
3.
any of various similar but unrelated plants, such as club moss, Spanish moss, Ceylon moss, rose moss, and reindeer moss
4.
(Scot & Northern English) a peat bog or marsh
Derived Forms
mosslike, adjective
mossy, adjective
mossiness, noun
Word Origin
Old English mos swamp; compare Middle Dutch, Old High German mos bog, Old Norse mosi; compare also Old Norse mӯrrmire

Moss

/mɒs/
noun
1.
Kate. born 1974, British supermodel.
2.
Sir Stirling. born 1929, English racing driver
Word Origin and History for moss
n.

Old English meos "moss," related to mos "bog," from Proto-Germanic *musan (cf. Old High German mios, Danish mos, German Moos), also in part from Old Norse mosi "moss, bog," and Medieval Latin mossa "moss," from the same Germanic source, from PIE *meus- "damp," with derivatives referring to swamps and swamp vegetation (cf. Latin muscus "moss," Lithuanian musai "mold, mildew," Old Church Slavonic muchu "moss").

Selden Moseþ þe Marbelston þat men ofte treden. ["Piers Plowman," 1362]
All the Germanic languages have the word in both senses, which is natural because moss is the characteristic plant of boggy places. It is impossible to say which sense is original. Scott (1805) revived 17c. moss-trooper "freebooter infesting Scottish border marshes."

moss in Science
moss
  (môs)   

  1. Any of numerous small bryophyte plants belonging to the phylum 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.

  2. 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.


Slang definitions & phrases for moss

moss

noun

Hair; among black people, straightened or processed hair: Moss is hair (1940s+ Black)

Related Terms

house moss, righteous moss


Idioms and Phrases with moss

moss

see: rolling stone gathers no moss
Encyclopedia Article for moss

Moss

town and port, southeastern Norway, on the eastern shore of Oslo Fjord. Moss was founded in the 16th century. On Aug. 14, 1814, it was the site of the signing of the Convention of Moss, which ended the short war between Norway and Sweden that preceded their union. The town has paper and cotton mills, metalworks, shipyards, textile factories, breweries, and facilities for glass, asphalt, and tar production. The harbour is protected by adjacent Jel Island, called the "Pearl of Oslo Fjord" for its fine resort area and many large estates. The Moss River drains into Vann Lake and then flows through the town and into Oslo Fjord. Pop. (2007 est.) mun., 28,633.

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