Moss, mos, n. a family of flowerless plants with branching stems and narrow, simple leaves: popularly any small cryptogamic plant, esp. a lichen: a piece of ground covered with moss: a bog.—v.t. to cover with moss.—ns. Moss′-back, an old fish: a person of antiquated views; Moss′-cheep′er (Scot.), the titlark.—adj. Moss′-grown, covered with moss.—ns. Moss′-hag (Scot.), a pit or slough in a bog; Moss′iness; Moss′-land, land abounding in peat-bogs; Moss′-rose, a variety of rose having a moss-like growth on and below the calyx; Moss′troop′er, one of the robbers that used to infest the mosses of the Border.—adj. Moss′y, overgrown or abounding with moss.—Iceland moss (see Iceland). [A.S. meós; Dut. mos, Ger. moos.]
Moss-bunker, mos′-bung-kėr, n. the menhaden. [Dut. mars-banker, the scad or horse-mackerel.]
Most, mōst, adj. (superl. of More), greatest in age, position or rank, number, degree, &c.—adv. in the highest degree.—n. the greatest number or quantity.—advs. Most′ly; Most′what (Spens.), for the most part, mostly.—At (the) most, to the utmost extent; For the most part, chiefly; Make the most of (see Make). [A.S. mǽst; cog. with Ger. meist.]
Mot, mō, n. a pithy or witty saying.—Mot d'ordre, word of command. [Fr.]
Mot, mot, n. a note on the bugle, &c., or its mark in musical notation. [Fr.,—L. muttum, a murmur.]
Motatorious, mō-ta-tō′ri-us, adj. vibratory, excessively mobile—of long-legged spiders and crane-flies, &c. [L. motāre, -ātum to keep moving, freq. of movēre, to move.]
Mote, mōt, n. an archaism for might or must.
Mote, mōt, n. a particle of dust: a speck: a stain or blemish: anything very small.—adjs. Mōt′ed, Mot′ty, containing motes. [A.S. mot; Dut. mot.]
Motet, mo-tet′, n. a sacred cantata of several unconnected movements, as a solo, trio, chorus, fugue, &c.: a choral composition having a biblical or similar prose text.—n. Motet′tist, a composer of such. [Fr.,—It. mottetto—motto, saying.]
Moth., moth, n. a family of insects like butterflies, seen mostly at night: the larva of this insect which gnaws cloth: that which eats away gradually and silently.—v.t. Moth′-eat, to prey upon, as a moth eats a garment.—adj. Moth′-eat′en, eaten or cut by moths.—n. Moth′-hunt′er, a little kind of swallow which hunts moths, &c., called also the Goatsucker.—adj. Moth′y, full of moths.—Death's-head moth, (see Death). [A.S. moþþe, mohþe; Ger. motte.]