Defn: Any one of various species of gnats of the genus Culex and allied genera. The females have a proboscis containing, within the sheathlike labium, six fine, sharp, needlelike organs with which they puncture the skin of man and animals to suck the blood. These bites, when numerous, cause, in many persons, considerable irritation and swelling, with some pain. The larvæ and pupæ, called wigglers, are aquatic. [Written also musquito.] Mosquito bar, Mosquito net, a net or curtain for excluding mosquitoes, — used for beds and windows. — Mosquito fleet, a fleet of small vessels. — Mosquito hawk (Zoöl.), a dragon fly; — so called because it captures and feeds upon mosquitoes. — Mosquito netting, a loosely-woven gauzelike fabric for making mosquito bars.
MOSS
Moss, n. Etym: [OE. mos; akin to AS. meós, D. mos, G. moos, OHG. mos,
mios, Icel. mosi, Dan. mos, Sw. mossa, Russ. mokh', L. muscus. Cf.
Muscoid.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A cryptogamous plant of a cellular structure, with distinct stem and simple leaves. The fruit is a small capsule usually opening by an apical lid, and so discharging the spores. There are many species, collectively termed Musci, growing on the earth, on rocks, and trunks of trees, etc., and a few in running water.
Note: The term moss is also popularly applied to many other small cryptogamic plants, particularly lichens, species of which are called tree moss, rock moss, coral moss, etc. Fir moss and club moss are of the genus Lycopodium. See Club moss, under Club, and Lycopodium.
2. A bog; a morass; a place containing peat; as, the mosses of the Scottish border.
Note: Moss is used with participles in the composition of words which
need no special explanation; as, moss-capped, moss-clad, moss-
covered, moss-grown, etc. Black moss. See under Black, and
Tillandsia.
— Bog moss. See Sphagnum.
— Feather moss, any moss branched in a feathery manner, esp.
several species of the genus Hypnum.
— Florida moss, Long moss, or Spanish moss. See Tillandsia.
— Iceland moss, a lichen. See Iceland Moss.
— Irish moss, a seaweed. See Carrageen.
— Moss agate (Min.), a variety of agate, containing brown, black,
or green mosslike or dendritic markings, due in part to oxide of
manganese. Called also Mocha stone.
— Moss animal (Zoöl.), a bryozoan.
— Moss berry (Bot.), the small cranberry (Vaccinium Oxycoccus).
— Moss campion (Bot.), a kind of mosslike catchfly (Silene
acaulis), with mostly purplish flowers, found on the highest
mountains of Europe and America, and within the Arctic circle.
— Moss land, land produced accumulation of aquatic plants, forming
peat bogs of more or less consistency, as the water is grained off or
retained in its pores.
— Moss pink (Bot.), a plant of the genus Phlox (P. subulata),
growing in patches on dry rocky hills in the Middle United States,
and often cultivated for its handsome flowers. Gray.
— Moss rose (Bot.), a variety of rose having a mosslike growth on
the stalk and calyx. It is said to be derived from the Provence rose.
— Moss rush (Bot.), a rush of the genus Juncus (J. squarrosus).
— Scale moss. See Hepatica.
MOSS
Moss, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Mossed; p. pr. & vb. n. Mossing.]
Defn: To cover or overgrow with moss.
An oak whose boughs were mossed with age. Shak.
MOSSBACK
Moss"back`, n.