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What is the difference between lichen and moss?

lichen | moss |

Moss is a hyponym of lichen.



As nouns the difference between lichen and moss

is that lichen is any of many symbiotic organisms, being associations of fungi and algae; often found as white or yellow patches on old walls, etc while moss is any of various small, green, seedless plants growing on the ground or on the surfaces of trees, stones, etc.; now specifically, a plant of the division Bryophyta (formerly division: Musci).

As a verb moss is

to become covered with moss.

As a proper noun Moss is

{{surname}.

lichen

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • Any of many symbiotic organisms, being associations of fungi and algae; often found as white or yellow patches on old walls, etc.
  • * 1894 — (Rudyard Kipling), , Lukannon
    • The Beaches of Lukannon–the winter wheat so tall–
    The dripping, crinkled lichens , and the sea-fog drenching all!
  • * 1895 — , , ch XI
    • It was the same rich green that one sees on forest moss or on the lichen in caves: plants which like these grow in a perpetual twilight.
  • * 1915 — (John Muir), , ch V
    • The nibble marks of the stone adze were still visible, though crusted over with scale lichens in most places.
  • (figurative) Something which spreads across something else, causing damage.
  • *
    • Meanwhile, abiding a day of judgment, she fought ceaselessly to deny the bitter drops in her cup, to tear back the slow, the intangibly slow growth of a hot, corrosive lichen eating into her heart.

    Synonyms

    * (something which spreads) (l)

    Derived terms

    * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l)

    See also

    * (lichen) * algae * fungus * Iceland moss * moss * reindeer moss

    References

    ----

    moss

    English

    (wikipedia moss)

    Noun

  • Any of various small, green, seedless plants growing on the ground or on the surfaces of trees, stones, etc.; now specifically, a plant of the division Bryophyta (formerly ).
  • (countable) A kind or species of such plants.
  • (informal) Any alga, lichen, bryophyte, or other plant of seemingly simple structure.
    • Spanish moss'''; Irish '''moss'''; club '''moss .
  • A bog; a fen.
    • the mosses of the Scottish border

    Usage notes

    * The plural form mosses'' is used when more than one kind of moss is meant. The singular ''moss is used referring to a collection of moss plants of the same kind.

    Hyponyms

    * (simple plant) alga, cryptogam, lichen

    Hypernyms

    * (Bryophyta) bryophyte

    Derived terms

    * (Tillandsia usneoides ) * (Bryozoa) * (Bartramia spp. ) * a rolling stone gathers no moss * et al) * black moss (Tillandsia usneoides ) * bog moss * ) * carrageen moss (Chondrus crispus ) * * ) * ) * ) * club moss, club-moss, (club-foot moss) (Lycopodiaceae) * ) * ) * ) * enmoss * ) * * (Tillandsia usneoides ) * ) * ) * head moss * ) * ) * Iceland moss () * idle-moss * Irish moss (Chondrus crispus ) * ) * (Tillandsia usneoides ) * ) * moss-agate * moss animal, (Bryozoa) * moss-back, mossback * moss-backed, mossbacked, mossy-backed * moss-bag * moss-bank * moss-basket * moss-bass * ) * moss-berry, (Vaccinium oxycoccos ) * (Botaurinae) * moss-box * ) * moss-carder, ) * ) * spp. ) * (Bryozoa) * ) * * ) * moss-earth * mossed * mosser * mossery * moss-fiber, moss-fibre * moss-flow * moss frog (Rhacophoridae) * mossful * moss-gold () * moss green * moss-grown, mossgrown * moss-hag, moss-hagg * moss-hagger * * moss-head * * moss-house * mossify * mossland * mossless * moss-litter * ) * moss-oak * moss opal * moss-peat * ) * mossplant * (Bryozoa) * moss-rake * moss-reeve * ) * ) * moss-seat * moss-starch * moss stitch * moss-tenant * moss-trooper * mosstroopery * moss-trooping * moss-whin () * ) * moss-wood * moss-work * mossy * oak moss * pearl moss (Chondrus crispus ) * peat-moss * ) * reindeer moss () * * ) * * * ''spp. ) * snake moss () * Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides ) * spike moss (Selaginellaceae) * ) * tree-moss * unmossed * white moss

    Verb

  • To become covered with moss.
    • An oak whose boughs were mossed with age.
  • To cover (something) with moss.

    • See also

    * muscoid

    References

    * A New English dictionary on historical principles , Volume 6, Sir James Augustus Henry Murray, Sir William Alexander Craigie, Charles Talbut Onions, editors, Clarendon Press, 1908, pages 684-6 ----