What does "sphagnum" mean?

Any of various widely distributed mosses, of genus Sphagnum, which slowly decompose to form peat.

What is a synonym for "sphagnum"?

Common synonyms include: bog moss, peat moss, peat moss, sphagnum moss.

//ˈsfæɡnəm// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
Any of various widely distributed mosses, of genus Sphagnum, which slowly decompose to form peat.
"[T]he ground up here is waterlogged and riddled with potholes, holes beneath the spongy coral fern, hidden holes throughout the sphagnum."
2
any of various pale or ashy mosses of the genus Sphagnum whose decomposed remains form peat wordnet

"[T]he ground up here is waterlogged and riddled with potholes, holes beneath the spongy coral fern, hidden holes throughout the sphagnum."

Borrowed from translingual Sphagnum, which is from Ancient Greek σφάγνος (sphágnos).

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.