Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Moss \Moss\, n. [OE. mos; akin to AS. me['o]s, D. mos, G. moos,
   OHG. mos, mios, Icel. mosi, Dan. mos, Sw. mossa, Russ. mokh',
   L. muscus. Cf. {Muscoid}.]
   1. (Bot.) 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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}.

Scale \Scale\, n. [Cf. AS. scealu, scalu, a shell, parings; akin
   to D. schaal, G. schale, OHG. scala, Dan. & Sw. skal a shell,
   Dan. ski[ae]l a fish scale, Goth. skalja tile, and E. shale,
   shell, and perhaps also to scale of a balance; but perhaps
   rather fr. OF. escale, escaile, F. ['e]caille scale of a
   fish, and ['e]cale shell of beans, pease, eggs, nuts, of
   German origin, and akin to Goth. skalja, G. schale. See
   {Shale}.]
   1. (Anat.) One of the small, thin, membranous, bony or horny
      pieces which form the covering of many fishes and
      reptiles, and some mammals, belonging to the dermal part
      of the skeleton, or dermoskeleton. See {Cycloid},
      {Ctenoid}, and {Ganoid}.

            Fish that, with their fins and shining scales, Glide
            under the green wave.                 --Milton.

   2. Hence, any layer or leaf of metal or other material,
      resembling in size and thinness the scale of a fish; as, a
      scale of iron, of bone, etc.

   3. (Zo["o]l.) One of the small scalelike structures covering
      parts of some invertebrates, as those on the wings of
      Lepidoptera and on the body of Thysanura; the elytra of
      certain annelids. See {Lepidoptera}.

   4. (Zo["o]l.) A scale insect. (See below.)

   5. (Bot.) A small appendage like a rudimentary leaf,
      resembling the scales of a fish in form, and often in
      arrangement; as, the scale of a bud, of a pine cone, and
      the like. The name is also given to the chaff on the stems
      of ferns.

   6. The thin metallic side plate of the handle of a
      pocketknife. See Illust. of {Pocketknife}.

   7. An incrustation deposit on the inside of a vessel in which
      water is heated, as a steam boiler.

   8. (Metal.) The thin oxide which forms on the surface of iron
      forgings. It consists essentially of the magnetic oxide,
      {Fe3O4}. Also, a similar coating upon other metals.

   {Covering scale} (Zo["o]l.), a hydrophyllium.

   {Ganoid scale}. (Zo["o]l.) See under {Ganoid}.

   {Scale armor} (Mil.), armor made of small metallic scales
      overlapping, and fastened upon leather or cloth.

   {Scale beetle} (Zo["o]l.), the tiger beetle.

   {Scale carp} (Zo["o]l.), a carp having normal scales.

   {Scale insect} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of
      small hemipterous insects belonging to the family
      {Coccid[ae]}, in which the females, when adult, become
      more or less scalelike in form. They are found upon the
      leaves and twigs of various trees and shrubs, and often do
      great damage to fruit trees. See {Orange scale},under
      {Orange}.

   {Scale moss} (Bot.), any leafy-stemmed moss of the order
      {Hepatic[ae]}; -- so called from the small imbricated
      scalelike leaves of most of the species. See {Hepatica},
      2, and {Jungermannia}.

Source : WordNet®

scale moss
     n : mosslike liverwort with tiny scalelike leaves; usually
         epiphytic [syn: {leafy liverwort}]