Meanings
plural Irish mosses
- countableuncountableA species of edible seaweed, Chondrus crispus.
1865, Henry David Thoreau, Cape Cod, Chapter I. "The Shipwreck", page 13. At Jerusalem village the inhabitants were collecting in haste, before a thunder-shower now approaching, the Irish moss which they had spread to dry.
Synonyms: carrageen, carrageen moss
- countableuncountableMastocarpus stellatus (false Irish moss), a less commonly gathered seaweed.
- countableuncountableGracilaria, a genus of seaweeds, cultivated and eaten in Asian cuisines.
- countableuncountableSoleirolia soleirolii (angel's tears), a plant in the nettle family.
- countableuncountableSagina subulata (syns. Sagina alexandrae), heath pearlwort, a terrestrial plant with needle-like leaves.
- countableuncountableArenaria verna (golden moss)
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA species of edible seaweed, Chondrus crispus.
More synonyms by meaning
noundark purple edible seaweed of the Atlantic coasts of Europe and North America
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
(seaweed): From its frequency on the Irish coast.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan molsa d'Irlanda
- molsa d'Irlandaedible seaweed
Czech irský mech
- irský mechedible seaweed
German Knorpeltang, Irisch Moos
- Knorpeltangedible seaweed
- Irisch Moosedible seaweed
Irish carraigín
- carraigínedible seaweed
Korean 카라긴
- 카라긴 (karagin)edible seaweed
Māori rehia
- rehiaedible seaweed
Russian ирла́ндский мох, жемчу́жный мох
- ирла́ндский мох (irlándskij mox)edible seaweed
- жемчу́жный мох (žemčúžnyj mox)edible seaweed
Scottish Gaelic cairgein, cairgean
- cairgeinedible seaweed
- cairgeanedible seaweed
- carraigeanedible seaweed
- màthair an duilisgedible seaweed
Spanish musgo de Irlanda
- musgo de Irlandaedible seaweed
Welsh gwymon melys
- gwymon melysedible seaweed
Cite this entry
Irish moss. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Irish%20moss
“Irish moss.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Irish%20moss. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Irish moss,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Irish%20moss.
Source: Irish moss on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.