sphagnum

American

[sfag-nuhm] / ˈsfæg nəm /

noun

any soft moss of the genus Sphagnum, occurring chiefly in bogs, used for potting and packing plants, for dressing wounds, etc.

sphagnum British

/ ˈsfæɡnəm /

noun

Also called: peat moss. bog moss. any moss of the genus Sphagnum, of temperate bogs, having leaves capable of holding much water: layers of these mosses decay to form peat

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

sphagnum Scientific

/ sfăg′nəm /

See peat moss

Other Word Forms

sphagnous adjective

Etymology

Origin of sphagnum

1745–55; < New Latin, alteration of Greek sphágnos a moss

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

To explore potential targets for treatment-shortening strategies, Malhotra and colleagues turned to sphagnum peat bogs.

From Science Daily • Dec. 3, 2024

And in peat bogs, the acid in sphagnum moss puts soft tissue through a tanning process that often preserves brain tissue.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 19, 2024

This is often capped with sphagnum moss, making the ground soft and treacherous.

From National Geographic • Feb. 16, 2024

The Flows provide habitat for birds, otters and water voles, and is carpeted with sphagnum moss.

From BBC • Jan. 1, 2023

He bandaged the wound with sphagnum moss and strips of deer hide.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023