Irish moss

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   A purple-red seaweed found on North Atlantic rocky shores, dried and used to thicken foods and in traditional drinks.

   Grammar: Uncountable: add a spoonful of Irish moss, not an Irish moss.

   Patterns

   • Irish moss in something
   • a drink made with Irish moss

   Irish moss is simmered in milk to make a pudding.

   Some vegan recipes use Irish moss instead of gelatin.

   Fishermen collected Irish moss on the rocky coast.

2. 2noununcountable

   A gel made from this seaweed, sold as a food supplement or natural thickener.

   Grammar: Used for the prepared product: she bought Irish moss gel.

   Patterns

   • Irish moss gel
   • Irish moss supplement

   She stirred Irish moss gel into her smoothie.

   The shop sells Irish moss as a health supplement.

   Irish moss can make soups smooth and thick.

Common combinations

Irish moss gel

Irish moss gel is used in raw desserts.

Irish moss drink

The Irish moss drink was thick and sweet.

dried Irish moss

Rinse the dried Irish moss before using it.

Irish moss pudding

Irish moss pudding is a traditional Irish dessert.

Synonyms and how they differ

carrageen

Carrageen is the Irish name for the same seaweed, and is often used in recipes.

sea moss

Sea moss is a broader wellness-marketing term that can include other seaweeds.

gelatin

Gelatin comes from animals and is a different setting agent, though Irish moss can replace it in vegetarian cooking.

Word family

carrageenan noun

a thickener extracted from red seaweeds

seaweed noun

a plant-like algae that grows in the sea

moss noun

a small soft green plant that grows on land

Commonly confused: Irish moss or moss?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “Irish moss”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words