Mosasauria
(||Mos`a*sau"ri*a) n. pl. [NL. See Mosasaurus.] (Paleon.) An order of large, extinct, marine
reptiles, found in the Cretaceous rocks, especially in America. They were serpentlike in form and in
having loosely articulated and dilatable jaws, with large recurved teeth, but they had paddlelike feet.
Some of them were over fifty feet long. They are, essentially, fossil sea serpents with paddles. Called
also Pythonomarpha, and Mosasauria.
Mosasaurus
(||Mos`a*sau"rus) n. [NL., fr. L. Mosa the River Meuse (on which Meastricht is situated)
+ Gr. a lizard.] (Paleon.) A genus of extinct marine reptiles allied to the lizards, but having the body
much elongated, and the limbs in the form of paddles. The first known species, nearly fifty feet in length,
was discovered in Cretaceous beds near Maestricht, in the Netherlands. [Written also Mososaurus.]
Moschatel
(Mos"cha*tel`) n. [Gr. musk: cf. F. moscatelline. See Muscadel, Musk.] (Bot.) A plant of
the genus Adoxa (A. moschatellina), the flowers of which are pale green, and have a faint musky smell.
It is found in woods in all parts of Europe, and is called also hollow root and musk crowfoot. Loudon.
Moschine
(Mos"chine) a. Of or pertaining to Moschus, a genus including the musk deer.
Mosel
(Mos"el) n. & v. See Muzzle. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Moselle
(Mo*selle") n. A light wine, usually white, produced in the vicinity of the river Moselle.
Moses
(Mo"ses) n. A large flatboat, used in the West Indies for taking freight from shore to ship.
Mosk
(Mosk) n. See Mosque.
Moslem
(Mos"lem) n.; pl. Moslems or collectively Moslem. [Ar. muslim a true believer in the Mohammedan
faith, fr. salama to submit to God, to resign one's self to the divine will. Cf. Islam, Mussulman.] A
Mussulman; an orthodox Mohammedan. [Written also muslim.] "Heaps of slaughtered Moslem." Macaulay.
They piled the ground with Moslem slain.
Halleck.
Moslem
(Mos"lem) a. Of or pertaining to the Mohammedans; Mohammedan; as, Moslem lands; the Moslem
faith.
Moslings
(Mos"lings) n. pl. Thin shreds of leather shaved off in dressing skins. Simmonds.
Mososaurus
(||Mos`o*sau"rus) n. [NL.] (Paleon.) Same as Mosasaurus.
Mosque
(Mosque) n. [F. mosquée, Sp. mezquita, Ar. masjid, from sajada to bend, adore.] A Mohammedan
church or place of religious worship. [Written also mosk.]
Mosquito
(Mos*qui"to) n.; pl. Mosquitoes [Sp. mosquito, fr. moscafly, L. musca. Cf. Musket.]
(Zoöl.) Any one of various species of gnats of the genus Culex and allied genera. The females have
a proboscis containing, within the sheathlike labium, six fine, sharp, needlelike organs with which they
puncture the skin of man and animals to suck the blood. These bites, when numerous, cause, in many
persons, considerable irritation and swelling, with some pain. The larvæ and pupæ, called wigglers, are
aquatic. [Written also musquito.]
Mosquito bar, Mosquito net, a net or curtain for excluding mosquitoes, — used for beds and windows.
— Mosquito fleet, a fleet of small vessels. — Mosquito hawk (Zoöl.), a dragon fly; — so called because
it captures and feeds upon mosquitoes. — Mosquito netting, a loosely-woven gauzelike fabric for
making mosquito bars.
Moss
(Moss) n. [OE. mos; akin to AS. meós, D. mos, G. moos, OHG. mos, mios, Icel. mosi, Dan.
mos, Sw. mossa, Russ. mokh', L. muscus. Cf. Muscoid.]
