moss·back

(môs′băk′, mŏs′-)

1. Informal An extremely conservative or old-fashioned person.

a. An old sluggish fish.

b. An old turtle with a growth of algae on its back.

moss′backed′ adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

mossback

(ˈmɒsˌbæk)

1. (Zoology) an old turtle, shellfish, etc, that has a growth of algae on its back

2. informal a provincial or conservative person

ˈmossˌbacked adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

moss•back

(ˈmɔsˌbæk, ˈmɒs-)

n.

1. Informal. a person holding very antiquated notions; reactionary.

2. an old turtle.

3. a large and old fish, as a bass.

[1870–75, Amer.]

moss′backed`, adj.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

mossback - an extremely old-fashioned conservative

conservative, conservativist - a person who is reluctant to accept changes and new ideas

mossback

noun

1. A person who vehemently, often fanatically opposes progress and favors return to a previous condition:

die-hard, reactionary, ultraconservative.

2. An old-fashioned person who is reluctant to change or innovate:

fogy, fossil, fuddy-duddy.

Informal: stick-in-the-mud.

Slang: square.

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

The eight-year-old made his debut over fences at Naas in November, finishing second to the useful but ill-fated Mossback.

SNOW FORECAST; IRISH GRAND NATIONAL; Falcon to fly home in Easter showpiece at Fairyhouse

Mossback, Jury Duty, No Comment and Rathvinden are all on a list of 16 runners in the National Hunt Chase.

Getabird heading Mullins challenge

All I can say is that he is in great form and has a very good each-way chance." In the National Hunt Chase later that afternoon, Fagan, Jury Duty and Mossback give the trainer another strong hand.

GORD STILL HAS LOTS TO CRO ABOUT; EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: 2017 CHAMPION CHELTENHAM TRAINER ON THE DEFENCE OF HIS TITLE; Samcro& Apple's Jade hold the key but Elliott admits: Competition is so strong, it would be a dream to repeat last year

Mossback Volkssport Club: Easy 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) or 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) routes in Eugene, walk on wide paved paths along the Willamette River, past some residential areas, then along improved gravel/bark trails to explore a variety of wildlife at Delta Ponds.

Briefly

"We have an old mossback Jacksonian who snorts and howls because there is a bathtub in the state house; we are running that old jay for Governor," he wrote.

The fever swamps of Kansas: a leftist tries to make sense of grassroots conservatism

The self-described "mossback" (someone set in his ways) started writing a book about the Northwest and became a public radio commentator and federal disaster-assistance worker.

The comeback mossback. (Bylines)

A supervisor hired from outside the company would not let Mossback get away with his passive/aggressive, analretentive style.

Will you get promoted over an outside candidate? (In the Trenches)

The board had proposed separate but equal membership for women as a compromise between old-grad Bonesmen-who object to women out of mossback sexism or, more politely, on the theory that their presence would inhibit the lengthy life-history confessions members make--and the younger members, who say exclusion of women is wrong and an anachronism.

Bones of contention

However, a chance is taken on Mossback who held every chance when falling at the last in a three-mile Grade 3 at Naas last month.

DIAMOND CAN STRIKE GOLD; Elliott hope loves a slog and he'll get that at Navan

Mossback Volkssport Club: Moderate 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) and 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) routes in Toledo, walk along the river's edge and the hills overlooking the Yaquina River and observe the 24-hour operations of the Georgia-Pacific Mill, then check out the Yaquina-Pacific Railroad Historic Museum.

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