mossy

Everyday

1. Covered with moss, the soft, green, low plant that grows on damp stones, trees and ground. tree →
2. Like moss: soft, green and springy. tree →

In the lessons

Used in science (moss grows in damp, shady places, often on the north side of trees in the Northern Hemisphere, though this is not a reliable compass) and in stories to paint a quiet, old, damp place: mossy stones, mossy walls, a mossy forest floor. Safety: mossy rocks and steps are slippery.

Examples

• The path through the woods was soft and mossy. tree →
• Be careful, those mossy rocks are slippery! tree →
• An old mossy wall ran round the garden. tree →
• The frog sat on a mossy log by the pond. tree →
• We found tiny insects living in the mossy bark. tree →
• The roof of the shed was green and mossy. tree →
• The fairy house was built on a mossy stump. tree →
• As usual, her attendants let her do anything she pleased, and sitting down on a mossy bank where a little stream tinkled by, soon fell sound asleep. tree →

Note

Adjective from "moss" + "-y". Comparative "mossier", superlative "mossiest". Myth: moss does not always grow on the north side of trees, so it is not a safe way to find north.