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 marasso, of maricetum, a mariscus, i.e. rushes. See Draining, Agriculture Index.

In Scotland, Ireland, and the north of England, there is a particular kind of morasses called mosses, or peat-mosses, whence the country people dig their peat or turf for firing. See Moss.