MORASS, a marsh, fen, or low moist ground, which receives the waters from above without having any descent to carry them off again. Sommer derives the
word from the Saxon merse, "lake;" Salmasius from mare, "a collection of waters;" others from the German marast, "a muddy place;" and others from marise, of maricetum, a mariscus, i. e. rushes. See DRAINING, AGRICULTURE Index.
In Scotland, Ireland, and the north of England, they have a peculiar kind of morasses called mosses or peat-mosses, whence the country people dig their peat or turf for firing. See MOSS.