Moss

(21), n. [A-S. meós, Icel. mosō, Dan. mos, moos, Sw. moss(a), D. mos, O. H. Ger. mos, mios, mies, M. H. Ger. mos, mies, N. H. Ger. moos, allied to Lat. muscus, Fr. mousse.] (Bot.) An aerogenous cryptogamous plant of a cellular structure, with leaves, and a distinct root. It is of small size, and found nearly all over the world, growing chiefly in moist places. The stem is leafy, and the leaves are narrow and simple.

The term moss is also popularly applied to many other small, cryptogamic plants, particularly lichens, species of which are called tree-moss, rock-moss, coral-moss, &c. The fir-moss and club-moss are of the genus Lycopodium.

Moss is sometimes used in the composition of words which need no special explanation; as, moss-bank, moss-basket, moss-capped, moss-clad, moss-covered, moss-grown, and the like.