mossback

American  

[maws-bak, mos-] / ˈmɔsˌbæk, ˈmɒs- /

noun

1. Informal.

   1. a person holding very antiquated notions; reactionary.

   2. a person living in the backwoods; rustic.

2. an old turtle.

3. Angling. a large and old fish, as a bass.

4. a wild bull or cow.

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mossback British  

/ ˈmɒsˌbæk /

noun

1. an old turtle, shellfish, etc, that has a growth of algae on its back

2. informal a provincial or conservative person

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Other Word Forms

• mossbacked adjective

Etymology

Origin of mossback

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75; moss + back ¹

Example Sentences

In true mossback fashion, he bought a plot of land on a particularly damp section of the island because he loved the rain.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 1, 2023

South Carolina's grumpy, mastiff-faced old Ellison DuRant Smith may be the Senate's No. 1 mossback, but South Carolina loves him still, treasures him as a precious relic.

From Time Magazine Archive

As a starter, the government bought out mossback electric companies, built dams, strung transmission lines, and thus provided the electricity that powers today's boom.

From Time Magazine Archive

To the passengers, most railroaders are mossback operators who neglect service while engaging in a never-ending round of raising fares, chopping schedules and eliminating branch lines.

From Time Magazine Archive

As the mossback lay awake in the long, quiet, windless winter nights, he often heard them puffing and snorting, now with slow, heavy coughs, and now quick and sharp and rapid.

From Forest Neighbors Life Stories of Wild Animals by Hulbert, William Davenport