Reindeer moss

Reindeer moss
Reindeer Rein"deer` (r?n"d?r), n. [Icel. hreinn reindeer + E. deer. Icel. hreinn is of Lapp or Finnish origin; cf. Lappish reino pasturage.] [Formerly written also {raindeer}, and {ranedeer}.] (Zool.) Any ruminant of the genus {Rangifer}, of the Deer family, found in the colder parts of both the Eastern and Western hemispheres, and having long irregularly branched antlers, with the brow tines palmate. [1913 Webster]

Note: The common European species ({Rangifer tarandus}) is domesticated in Lapland. The woodland reindeer or caribou ({Rangifer caribou}) is found in Canada and Maine (see {Caribou}.) The Barren Ground reindeer or caribou ({Rangifer Gr[oe]nlandicus}), of smaller size, is found on the shores of the Arctic Ocean, in both hemispheries. [1913 Webster]

{Reindeer moss} (Bot.), a gray branching lichen ({Cladonia rangiferina}) which forms extensive patches on the ground in arctic and even in north temperature regions. It is the principal food of the Lapland reindeer in winter.

{Reindeer period} (Geol.), a name sometimes given to a part of the Paleolithic era when the reindeer was common over Central Europe. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • reindeer moss — n. any of various intricately branched, spongy lichens (genus Cladonia), esp. a gray lichen ( C. rangiferina) eaten by grazing animals in the Arctic and, sometimes, by people …   English World dictionary

  • reindeer moss — any of several lichens of the genus Cladonia, esp. the gray, many branched C. rangiferina, of arctic and subarctic regions, eaten by reindeer and caribou. [1745 55] * * * ▪ lichen       (Cladonia rangiferina), a fruticose (bushy, branched) lichen …   Universalium

  • reindeer moss — noun A lichen, Cladonia rangiferina, that grows in areas of alpine tundra. They passed alder swamps and bamboo groves and pale green reindeer moss. Syn: reindeer lichen …   Wiktionary

  • reindeer moss — noun an erect greyish branching lichen of Arctic and even some north temperate regions constituting the chief food for reindeer and caribou and sometimes being eaten by humans • Syn: ↑reindeer lichen, ↑arctic moss, ↑Cladonia rangiferina •… …   Useful english dictionary

  • reindeer moss — noun Date: circa 1753 a gray, erect, tufted, and much branched lichen (Cladonia rangiferina) that forms extensive patches in arctic and north temperate regions, constitutes a large part of the food of caribou, and is sometimes eaten by humans… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • reindeer moss — noun a bluish grey arctic lichen, eaten by reindeer in winter. [Cladonia rangiferina.] …   English new terms dictionary

  • reindeer moss — /ˈreɪndɪə mɒs/ (say rayndear mos) noun a grey, branched lichen, Cladonia rangiferina, widespread in arctic regions, where it is eaten during the winter by reindeer …  

  • reindeer moss — rein′deer moss n. bot any of several lichens of the genus Cladonia, esp. the gray, many branched C. rangiferina, of arctic and subarctic regions • Etymology: 1745–55 …   From formal English to slang

  • Reindeer hunting in Greenland — is of great importance to the Kalaallit (Greenland Inuit) and sporting hunters, both residents and tourists. Reindeer (Caribou) are an important source of meat, and harvesting them has always played an important role in the history, culture, and… …   Wikipedia

  • Reindeer — Rein deer (r?n d?r), n. [Icel. hreinn reindeer + E. deer. Icel. hreinn is of Lapp or Finnish origin; cf. Lappish reino pasturage.] [Formerly written also {raindeer}, and {ranedeer}.] (Zool.) Any ruminant of the genus {Rangifer}, of the Deer… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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