moss

«moss» in Mova's judaism dictionary: A small, soft, green plant without flowers that grows in… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 3 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

noun (moss — uncountable; mosses for kinds)

meaning for a pupil

A small, soft, green plant without flowers that grows in thick, low patches on damp ground, rocks, trees and walls. tree →

sense in the lessons

In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: Here "mosses" is a rendering of a hard Hebrew word, likely for reeds or water plants beside the Nile. Interpretation: Isaiah's verse is read as a prophecy about Egypt's decline, when the Nile that gives life to the land dries up. In the primary lessons: In science, mosses are simple plants: they have no flowers, seeds or proper roots, and they make spores to reproduce. They need damp, shady places and soak up water like a sponge, which helps prevent floods and keeps soil from washing away. Moss often grows on the shady side of trees and rocks; in the Northern Hemisphere that is often the north side, but this is not a safe way to find your way. In safety, moss on rocks and steps is very slippery. Phrases: "covered in moss", "moss-covered", "a rolling stone gathers no moss".

examples

• The mosses by the Nile, by the brink of the Nile, and all that is sown by the Nile, shall become dry, be driven away, and be no more. (Prophets ISA.19.7, JPS 1917) tree →
• The old wall was covered in green moss. tree →
• Moss feels soft and spongy. tree →
• Mosses grow in damp, shady places. tree →
• Be careful — moss on the rocks is slippery. tree →
• Moss makes spores instead of seeds. tree →
• Birds use moss to line their nests. tree →
• We found moss growing between the paving stones. tree →
• A rolling stone gathers no moss. tree →
• Not a single glow-worm glittered in the moss. tree →

note

Uncountable: "some moss", "a patch of moss"; "mosses" means different kinds. Spelling: double s. Myth: "moss only grows on the north side of trees" is not reliable for finding directions. Reindeer moss is actually a lichen, not a moss.

In the corpora

• Picture a town where nobody has walked for 40 years: birches grow through flats, moss covers the roads.
• Moss can grow on any damp, shady side of a tree, so it is not a reliable way to find north.
• Moss does not grow only on the north side of trees, so it is not a reliable guide.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «moss» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.