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}.

Spanish \Span"ish\, a.
   Of or pertaining to Spain or the Spaniards.

   {Spanish bayonet} (Bot.), a liliaceous plant ({Yucca
      alorifolia}) with rigid spine-tipped leaves. The name is
      also applied to other similar plants of the Southwestern
      United States and mexico. Called also {Spanish daggers}.
      

   {Spanish bean} (Bot.) See the Note under {Bean}.

   {Spanish black}, a black pigment obtained by charring cork.
      --Ure.

   {Spanish broom} (Bot.), a leguminous shrub ({Spartium
      junceum}) having many green flexible rushlike twigs.

   {Spanish brown}, a species of earth used in painting, having
      a dark reddish brown color, due to the presence of
      sesquioxide of iron.

   {Spanish buckeye} (Bot.), a small tree ({Ungnadia speciosa})
      of Texas, New Mexico, etc., related to the buckeye, but
      having pinnate leaves and a three-seeded fruit.

   {Spanish burton} (Naut.), a purchase composed of two single
      blocks. A double Spanish burton has one double and two
      single blocks. --Luce (Textbook of Seamanship).

   {Spanish chalk} (Min.), a kind of steatite; -- so called
      because obtained from Aragon in Spain.

   {Spanish cress} (Bot.), a cruciferous plant ({lepidium
      Cadamines}), a species of peppergrass.

   {Spanish curiew} (Zo["o]l.), the long-billed curlew. [U.S.]
      

   {Spanish daggers} (Bot.) See {Spanish bayonet}.

   {Spanish elm} (Bot.), a large West Indian tree ({Cordia
      Gerascanthus}) furnishing hard and useful timber.

   {Spanish feretto}, a rich reddish brown pigment obtained by
      calcining copper and sulphur together in closed crucibles.
      

   {Spanish flag} (Zo["o]l.), the California rockfish
      ({Sebastichthys rubrivinctus}). It is conspicuously
      colored with bands of red and white.

   {Spanish fly} (Zo["o]l.), a brilliant green beetle, common in
      the south of Europe, used for raising blisters. See
      {Blister beetle} under {Blister}, and {Cantharis}.

   {Spanish fox} (Naut.), a yarn twisted against its lay.

   {Spanish grass}. (Bot.) See {Esparto}.

   {Spanish juice} (Bot.), licorice.

   {Spanish leather}. See {Cordwain}.

   {Spanish mackerel}. (Zo["o]l.)
   (a) A species of mackerel ({Scomber colias}) found both in
       Europe and America. In America called {chub mackerel},
       {big-eyed mackerel}, and {bull mackerel}.
   (b) In the United States, a handsome mackerel having bright
       yellow round spots ({Scomberomorus maculatus}), highly
       esteemed as a food fish. The name is sometimes
       erroneously applied to other species. See Illust. under
       Mackerel.

   {Spanish main}, the name formerly given to the southern
      portion of the Caribbean Sea, together with the contiguous
      coast, embracing the route traversed by Spanish treasure
      ships from the New to the Old World.

   {Spanish moss}. (Bot.) See {Tillandsia}.

   {Spanish needles} (Bot.), a composite weed ({Bidens
      bipinnata}) having achenia armed with needlelike awns.

   {Spanish nut} (Bot.), a bulbous plant ({Iris Sisyrinchium})
      of the south of Europe.

   {Spanish potato} (Bot.), the sweet potato. See under
      {Potato}.

   {Spanish red}, an ocherous red pigment resembling Venetian
      red, but slightly yellower and warmer. --Fairholt.

   {Spanish reef} (Naut.), a knot tied in the head of a
      jib-headed sail.

   {Spanish sheep} (Zo["o]l.), a merino.

   {Spanish white}, an impalpable powder prepared from chalk by
      pulverizing and repeated washings, -- used as a white
      pigment.

   {Spanish windlass} (Naut.), a wooden roller, with a rope
      wound about it, into which a marline spike is thrust to
      serve as a lever.

Tillandsia \Til*land"si*a\, n. [NL. So named after Prof.
   Tillands, of Abo, in Finland.] (Bot.)
   A genus of epiphytic endogenous plants found in the Southern
   United States and in tropical America. {Tillandsia
   usneoides}, called {long moss}, {black moss}, {Spanish moss},
   and {Florida moss}, has a very slender pendulous branching
   stem, and forms great hanging tufts on the branches of trees.
   It is often used for stuffing mattresses.

Source : WordNet®

Spanish moss
     n : dense festoons of greenish-gray hairlike flexuous strands
         anchored to tree trunks and branches by sparse wiry
         roots; southeastern United States and West Indies to
         South America [syn: {old man's beard}, {black moss}, {long
         moss}, {Tillandsia usneoides}]