peat moss

noun

any of various pale or ashy mosses of the genus Sphagnum whose decomposed remains form peat

• Syn: ↑sphagnum, ↑sphagnum moss, ↑bog moss

• Hypernyms: ↑moss

• Member Holonyms: ↑genus Sphagnum

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noun

1. : any moss from which peat has formed or may form; specifically : sphagnum

2. chiefly Britain : peat bog

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1. Also called bog moss. any moss, esp. of the genus Sphagnum, from which peat may form.

2. such moss after it has been dried, used chiefly as a mulch or seedbed, for acidification.

[1225-75 for earlier sense; 1870-80 for def. 1; ME petemos (in placename) peat bog]

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peat bank, peat bed, peat bog, peatˈland, peat moor or peat moss noun

1. A region, bog, moor, etc, covered with peat

2. A place from which peat is dug

• • •

Main Entry: ↑peat

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peat moss,

1. a kind of moss, such as sphagnum, from which peat has formed or may be formed. It is dried and added to garden and potting soil to keep it loose and retain moisture.

2. = peat bog. (Cf. ↑peat bog)

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n.

1) a large absorbent moss that grows in dense masses on boggy ground, where the lower parts decay slowly to form peat deposits. Peat moss is widely used in horticulture, esp. for packing plants and (as peat) for compost. Also called , sphagnum. ● Genus Sphagnum, family Sphagnaceae: many species

2) a lowland peat bog

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noun [noncount]

chiefly US : a type of moss that usually grows on wet land and that is used by gardeners as a fertilizer, for growing plants in pots, etc. — called also sphagnum, sphagnum moss