moss

Everyday

A small, soft, green plant without flowers that grows in thick, low patches on damp ground, rocks, trees and walls. tree →

In the lessons

In science, mosses are simple plants: they have no flowers, seeds or proper roots, and they make spores to reproduce. They need damp, shady places and soak up water like a sponge, which helps prevent floods and keeps soil from washing away. Moss often grows on the shady side of trees and rocks; in the Northern Hemisphere that is often the north side, but this is not a safe way to find your way. In safety, moss on rocks and steps is very slippery. Phrases: "covered in moss", "moss-covered", "a rolling stone gathers no moss".

Examples

• The old wall was covered in green moss. tree →
• Moss feels soft and spongy. tree →
• Mosses grow in damp, shady places. tree →
• Be careful — moss on the rocks is slippery. tree →
• Moss makes spores instead of seeds. tree →
• Birds use moss to line their nests. tree →
• We found moss growing between the paving stones. tree →
• A rolling stone gathers no moss. tree →
• Not a single glow-worm glittered in the moss. tree →

Note

Uncountable: "some moss", "a patch of moss"; "mosses" means different kinds. Spelling: double s. Myth: "moss only grows on the north side of trees" is not reliable for finding directions. Reindeer moss is actually a lichen, not a moss.

In Jewish tradition

Here "mosses" is a rendering of a hard Hebrew word, likely for reeds or water plants beside the Nile.

Interpretation. Isaiah's verse is read as a prophecy about Egypt's decline, when the Nile that gives life to the land dries up.

Examples

• The mosses by the Nile, by the brink of the Nile, and all that is sown by the Nile, shall become dry, be driven away, and be no more. (Prophets ISA.19.7, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Uncountable: "some moss", "a patch of moss"; "mosses" means different kinds. Spelling: double s. Myth: "moss only grows on the north side of trees" is not reliable for finding directions. Reindeer moss is actually a lichen, not a moss.