tiny leafy-stemmed flowerless plants
"The damp north side of the old stone wall was covered in a thick carpet of green moss."
Any of various small, green, seedless plants growing on the ground or on the surfaces of trees, stones, etc.; now specifically, a plant of the phylum Bryophyta (formerly division Musci).
"The new protocol uses MOSS, an acronym for MIME Object Security Services, to encrypt email attachments."
Acronym of MIME Object Security Services.
In plain English: Moss is a tiny, green plant that grows on damp surfaces like rocks and tree bark without needing soil to survive.
"The thick green moss covered the old stone wall after years of rain."
Usage: Moss refers to non-flowering, seedless plants that typically grow in damp environments like forests or shaded walls rather than soil. Use this term for small green patches on surfaces instead of confusing it with similar-looking but distinct ground-covering herbs.
To become covered with moss.
"The old stone steps had begun to moss over after years of neglect in the damp garden."
In plain English: To moss something means to cover it with green, fuzzy plants that grow on damp surfaces.
"The damp corner has mossed over with green algae after weeks without sunlight."
A surname.
"The researchers used MOSS to analyze land cover data across the region."
Acronym of Map Overlay and Statistical System.
The word "moss" comes from Old English mos, which originally meant both bog and marsh. It traveled into modern English with this dual meaning before eventually narrowing to refer specifically to the plant.