Mosaical adjective Mosaic (in either sense). "A mosaical floor." Sir P. Sidney.

Mosaically adverb In the manner of a mosaic.

Mosaism noun Attachment to the system or doctrines of Moses; that which is peculiar to the Mosaic system or doctrines.

Mosasaur, Mosasaurian noun (Paleon.) One of an extinct order of reptiles, including Mosasaurus and allied genera. See Mosasauria .

Mosasauria noun plural [ New Latin See Mosasaurus .] (Paleon.) An order of large, extinct, marine reptiles, found in the Cretaceous rocks, especially in America. They were serpentlike in form and in having loosely articulated and dilatable jaws, with large recurved teeth, but they had paddlelike feet. Some of them were over fifty feet long. They are, essentially, fossil sea serpents with paddles. Called also Pythonomarpha , and Mosasauria .

Mosasaurus noun [ New Latin , from Latin Mosa the River Meuse (on which Meastricht is situated) + Greek ... a lizard.] (Paleon.) A genus of extinct marine reptiles allied to the lizards, but having the body much elongated, and the limbs in the form of paddles. The first known species, nearly fifty feet in length, was discovered in Cretaceous beds near Maestricht, in the Netherlands. [ Written also Mososaurus .]

Moschatel noun [ Greek ... musk: confer French moscatelline . See Muscadel , Musk .] (Botany) A plant of the genus Adoxa ( A. moschatellina ), the flowers of which are pale green, and have a faint musky smell. It is found in woods in all parts of Europe, and is called also hollow root and musk crowfoot . Loudon.

Moschine adjective Of or pertaining to Moschus , a genus including the musk deer.

Mosel noun & v. See Muzzle . [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Moselle noun A light wine, usually white, produced in the vicinity of the river Moselle.

Moses noun A large flatboat, used in the West Indies for taking freight from shore to ship.

Mosey intransitive verb [ Perh. from Vamose .] To go, or move (in a certain manner); -- usually with out , off , along , etc. [ Colloq.] E. N. Wescott.

Mosk noun See Mosque .

Moslem (mŏz"lĕm) noun ; plural Moslems (-lĕmz), or collectively Moslem . [ Arabic muslim a true believer in the Mohammedan faith, from salama to submit to God, to resign one's self to the divine will. Confer Islam , Mussulman .] A Mussulman; an orthodox Mohammedan. [ Written also muslim .] "Heaps of slaughtered Moslem ." Macaulay.

They piled the ground with Moslem slain.

Halleck.

Moslem (mŏz"lĕm) adjective Of or pertaining to the Mohammedans; Mohammedan; as, Moslem lands; the Moslem faith.

Moslings noun plural Thin shreds of leather shaved off in dressing skins. Simmonds.

Mososaurus noun [ New Latin ] (Paleon.) Same as Mosasaurus .

Mosque (mŏsk) noun [ French mosquée , Spanish mezquita , Arabic masjid , from sajada to bend, adore.] A Mohammedan church or place of religious worship. [ Written also mosk .]

Mosquito (mŏs*kē*to) noun ; plural Mosquitoes . [ Spanish mosquito , from mosca fly, Latin musca . Confer Musket .] (Zoology) 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 (Zoology) , a dragon fly; -- so called because it captures and feeds upon mosquitoes. -- Mosquito netting , a loosely-woven gauzelike fabric for making mosquito bars.

Moss noun [ Middle English mos ; akin to Anglo-Saxon meós , Dutch mos , German moos , Old High German mos , mios , Icelandic mosi , Danish mos , Swedish mossa , Russian mokh' , Latin muscus . Confer Muscoid .]
1. (Botany) 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.

» 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.

» 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 (Zoology) , a bryozoan. -- Moss berry (Botany) , the small cranberry ( Vaccinium Oxycoccus ). -- Moss campion (Botany) , 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 (Botany) , 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 (Botany) , 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 (Botany) , a rush of the genus Juncus ( J. squarrosus ). -- Scale moss . See Hepatica .

Moss transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Mossed ; present participle & verbal noun Mossing .] To cover or overgrow with moss.

An oak whose boughs were mossed with age.

Shak.

Moss-grown adjective Overgrown with moss.

Mossback noun A veteran partisan; one who is so conservative in opinion that he may be likened to a stone or old tree covered with moss. [ Political Slang, U.S.]

Mossbanker, Mossbunker noun (Zoology) The menhaded.

Mossiness noun The state of being mossy.

Mosstrooper noun [ Moss + trooper .] One of a class of marauders or bandits that formerly infested the border country between England and Scotland; -- so called in allusion to the mossy or boggy character of much of the border country.

Mossy adjective [ Compar. Mossier ; superl. Mossiest .]
1. Overgrown with moss; abounding with or edged with moss; as, mossy trees; mossy streams.

Old trees are more mossy far than young.

Bacon.

2. Resembling moss; as, mossy green.

Most (mōst) adjective , superl. of More . [ Middle English most , mast , mest , Anglo-Saxon mǣst ; akin to Dutch meest , Old Saxon mēst , German meist , Icelandic mestr , Goth. maists ; a superl. corresponding to English more . √103. See More , adjective ]
1. Consisting of the greatest number or quantity; greater in number or quantity than all the rest; nearly all. " Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness." Prov. xx. 6.

The cities wherein most of his mighty works were done.

Matt. xi. 20.

2. Greatest in degree; as, he has the most need of it. "In the moste pride." Chaucer.

3. Highest in rank; greatest. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

» Most is used as a noun, the words part , portion , quantity , etc., being omitted, and has the following meanings: 1. The greatest value, number, or part; preponderating portion; highest or chief part. 2. The utmost; greatest possible amount, degree, or result; especially in the phrases to make the most of , at the most , at most .

A quarter of a year or some months at the most .

Bacon.

A covetous man makes the most of what he has.

L'Estrange.

For the most part , in reference to the larger part of a thing, or to the majority of the persons, instances, or things referred to; as, human beings, for the most part , are superstitious; the view, for the most part , was pleasing. -- Most an end , generally. See An end , under End , noun [ Obsolete] "She sleeps most an end ." Massinger.

Most adverb [ Anglo-Saxon mǣst . See Most , adjective ] In the greatest or highest degree.

Those nearest to this king, and most his favorites, were courtiers and prelates.

Milton.

» Placed before an adjective or adverb, most is used to form the superlative degree, being equivalent to the termination -est ; as, most vile, most wicked; most illustrious; most rapidly. Formerly, and until after the Elizabethan period of our literature, the use of the double superlative was common. See More , adverb

The most unkindest cut of all.

Shak.

The most straitest sect of our religion.

Acts xxvi. 5.

Most adverb -- Most-favored- nation clause (Diplomacy) , a clause, often inserted in treaties, by which each of the contracting nations binds itself to grant to the other in certain stipulated matters the same terms as are then, or may be thereafter, granted to the nation which receives from it the most favorable terms in respect of those matters.

There was a " most-favored-nation " clause with provisions for the good treatment of strangers entering the Republic.

James Bryce.

Steam navigation was secured by the Japanese as far as Chungking, and under the most-favored-nation clause the right accrued to us.

A. R. Colquhoun.

Mostahiba noun See Mustaiba .

Moste obsolete imperfect of Mote . Chaucer.

Mostic, Mostick noun [ See Maul-stick .] A painter's maul-stick.

Mostly adverb For the greatest part; for the most part; chiefly; in the main.

Mostra noun [ Italian ] (Mus.) See Direct , noun

Mostwhat adverb For the most part. [ Obsolete] "All the rest do mostwhat far amiss." Spenser.

Mot (mōt) v. [ Sing. present ind. Mot , Mote , Moot (mōt) plural Mot , Mote , Moote , present subjunctive Mote ; imperfect Moste .] [ See Must , v. ] [ Obsolete] May; must; might.

He moot as well say one word as another

Chaucer.

The wordes mote be cousin to the deed.

Chaucer.

Men moot [ i.e., one only] give silver to the poore freres.

Chaucer.

So mote it be , so be it; amen; -- a phrase in some rituals, as that of the Freemasons.

Mot (mŏt; mo, def. 2) noun [ French See Motto .]
1. A word; hence, a motto; a device. [ Obsolete] Bp. Hall.

Tarquin's eye may read the mot afar.

Shak.

2. A pithy or witty saying; a witticism. [ A Gallicism]

Here and there turns up a . . . savage mot .

N. Brit. Rev.

3. A note or brief strain on a bugle. Sir W. Scott.

Motacil noun [ Confer French motacille .] (Zoology) Any singing bird of the genus Motacilla ; a wagtail.

Motation noun [ Latin motare , motatum , to keep moving.] The act of moving; motion. [ Obsolete]

Mote v. See 1st Mot . [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Mote noun [ See Moot , a meeting.] [ Obsolete, except in a few combinations or phrases.]
1. A meeting of persons for discussion; as, a ward mote in the city of London.

2. A body of persons who meet for discussion, esp. about the management of affairs; as, a folk mote .

3. A place of meeting for discussion.

Mote bell , the bell rung to summon to a mote . [ Obsolete]

Mote noun The flourish sounded on a horn by a huntsman. See Mot , noun , 3, and Mort . Chaucer.

Mote noun [ Middle English mot , Anglo-Saxon mot .] A small particle, as of floating dust; anything proverbially small; a speck.

The little motes in the sun do ever stir, though there be no wind.

Bacon.

We are motes in the midst of generations.

Landor.

Moted adjective Filled with motes, or fine floating dust; as, the air. " Moted sunbeams." Tennyson.

Motet noun [ French, a dim. of mot word; confer Italian mottetto , dim. of motto word, device. See Mot , Motto .] (Mus.) A composition adapted to sacred words in the elaborate polyphonic church style; an anthem.

Moth (mŏth) noun A mote. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Moth noun ; plural Moths (mŏthz). [ Middle English mothe , Anglo-Saxon moððe ; akin to Dutch mot , German motte , Icelandic motti , and probably to English mad an earthworm. Confer Mad , noun , Mawk .]
1. (Zoology) Any nocturnal lepidopterous insect, or any not included among the butterflies; as, the luna moth ; Io moth ; hawk moth .

2. (Zoology) Any lepidopterous insect that feeds upon garments, grain, etc.; as, the clothes moth ; grain moth ; bee moth . See these terms under Clothes , Grain , etc.

3. (Zoology) Any one of various other insects that destroy woolen and fur goods, etc., esp. the larvæ of several species of beetles of the genera Dermestes and Anthrenus . Carpet moths are often the larvæ of Anthrenus. See Carpet beetle , under Carpet , Dermestes , Anthrenus .

4. Anything which gradually and silently eats, consumes, or wastes any other thing.

Moth blight (Zoology) , any plant louse of the genus Aleurodes , and related genera. They are injurious to various plants. -- Moth gnat (Zoology) , a dipterous insect of the genus Bychoda , having fringed wings. -- Moth hunter (Zoology) , the goatsucker. -- Moth miller (Zoology) , a clothes moth. See Miller , 3, (a) . -- Moth mullein (Botany) , a common herb of the genus Verbascum ( V. Blattaria ), having large wheel-shaped yellow or whitish flowers.

Moth-eat transitive verb To eat or prey upon, as a moth eats a garment. [ Rarely used except in the form moth-eaten , past participle or adjective ]

Ruin and neglect have so moth-eaten her.

Sir T. Herbert.

Mothen adjective Full of moths. [ Obsolete] Fulke.