Irish moss

English

Irish moss (Chondrus crispus)

Etymology

(seaweed): From its frequency on the Irish coast.

Noun

Irish moss (countable and uncountable, plural Irish mosses)

1. A 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.

2. Mastocarpus stellatus (false Irish moss), a less commonly gathered seaweed.
3. Gracilaria, a genus of seaweeds, cultivated and eaten in Asian cuisines.
4. Soleirolia soleirolii (angel's tears), a plant in the nettle family.
5. Sagina subulata (syns. Sagina alexandrae), heath pearlwort, a terrestrial plant with needle-like leaves.
6. Arenaria verna (golden moss)

Synonyms

• (Chondrus crispus): carrageen, carrageen moss

Translations

edible seaweed

• Catalan: molsa d'Irlanda f
• Czech: irský mech m
• Galician: carrapucho (gl) m
• German: Knorpeltang m, Irisch Moos n
• Irish: carraigín m
• Manx: carrickeen m
• Maori: rehia
• Russian: ирла́ндский мох m (irlándskij mox), жемчу́жный мох m (žemčúžnyj mox)
• Scottish Gaelic: cairgein m, cairgean m, carraigean m, màthair an duilisg f
• Spanish: musgo de Irlanda m
• Welsh: gwymon melys m

See also

• carrageenan