peat moss

noun

1

: sphagnum moss that has become compacted with other plant debris to form peat (see peat entry 1 sense 1a)

When harvested from the bog, peat moss dries out quickly and is turned into amendments meant to improve drainage and retain moisture in soils.

—Kim Pokorny

The area was so full of peat moss, the construction crew had to dig down three metres to find solid footing for bridge abutments.

—Elise Stolte

2

: dried and processed peat used especially as a soil amendment (see amendment sense 3)

Many commercial potting soil contains peat moss, commonly sourced from bogs in Canada, which are exceptional carbon sinks.

—Paige Curtis

Examples of peat moss in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Wash the pulp from the seeds, and plant them in moist cactus soil mix or a mixture of sphagnum peat moss and perlite. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 26 Oct. 2024

Don’t add anything such as peat moss to the hole because this encourages the plant’s roots to stay in the hole, rather than expanding into the surrounding area. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 10 Oct. 2024

One simple mix is to combine two parts peat moss and one part coarse perlite. —Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 20 July 2024

Addition of Carbon-Rich Materials: After each use, carbon-rich materials such as sawdust, coconut coir, or peat moss are added to the solid waste in the composting chamber. —Debbie Wolfe, Popular Science, 15 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

peat moss

noun

: sphagnum