mossback etymology

Etymology:

The term "mossback" originated in the early 19th century in the United States. It is a combination of two words:

• Moss: Referring to the thick, green growth of non-vascular plants that often covers tree trunks and other vertical surfaces in damp environments.
• Back: Referring to the back or shell of a turtle.

Meaning:

A mossback is a person who is considered to be old-fashioned, conservative, or out of touch with modern ideas or trends. The term implies a stubbornness to change and an adherence to outdated views.

Origin:

The term was first used in the 1830s in the American South to describe people who were resistant to the abolition of slavery. It was applied to those who clung to traditional ways of life and opposed any kind of social or political progress.

Over time, the term "mossback" became associated with any person who was seen as being behind the times or resistant to change. It is often used in a humorous or slightly derogatory way to describe someone who has a set of fixed beliefs and is unwilling to embrace new ideas.

mossback relate terms

• back

  Etymology The word back is derived from the Old English word bæc which meant back

• ridge

  Etymology The word ridge comes from the Old English word hrycg meaning back or s

• moss

  Etymology 1 Middle English mos n mosse n and adj 2 Old English meos n mos

• conservative

  Etymology Late Middle English in the sense disposed to preserve existing institutio

• coroner

  Etymology The word coroner is derived from the Anglo Norman French word corouner whi

• quell

  Etymology Old High German quëllan Old Saxon quellan Middle Low German quellen Middle

• eccentric

  Etymology Eccentric originates from the Latin word eccentricus which means out of th

• threshold

  Etymology Old English therscwald doorsill threshold From Proto Germanic threskō

• concord

  Etymology The word concord derives from the Latin word concordis which means harmo

• holy

  Etymology The word holy originates from the Old English word hālġ which means sac

• crucible

  Etymology Old French creuset Late Latin crucibulum a diminutive of crux cross Latin

• inimical

  Etymology Latin inimīcus enemy Proto Indo European h₃en h₁kó s uncongenia

• necessary

  Etymology Necessary from Latin necessarius meaning indispensable inevitable Mea