1 muskeg | Definition of muskeg

muskeg

noun
mus·​keg | \ ˈmə-ˌskeg How to pronounce muskeg (audio) , -ˌskāg\

Definition of muskeg

1 : bog especially : a sphagnum bog of northern North America often with tussocks
2 : a usually thick deposit of partially decayed vegetable matter of wet boreal regions

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Examples of muskeg in a Sentence

local farmers can make extra money by digging peat out of the nearby muskeg

Recent Examples on the Web

Authorities have used helicopters, drones, boats, and dogs to search approximately 4,200 square miles of tundra, muskeg and dense forests. Fox News, "Damaged boat found along river amid search in Canada for fugitive murder suspects," 5 Aug. 2019 The spongy bog lands — known as muskeg — dot the landscape beside expansive lakes and rivers. Morgan Krakow, Washington Post, "People have unknowingly come face to face with two teens on the lam in Canada, suspected of murder," 31 July 2019 The terrain is immense & varied w/lakes, ponds, muskeg etc. Fox News, "Possible sighting of Canada murder suspects reported in Manitoba as police swarm area," 29 July 2019 The thick muskeg swallowed boots and mired vehicles and artillery pieces. Alex Horton, Washington Post, "Thousands of Japanese fought in a bloody World War II battle for the Aleutians. Only 28 survived.," 24 May 2018 The combination of alpine, muskeg and stands of young aspen and birch established after a fire — more than a million acres burned in 2004 — created an infusion of nutrients ideal for ruffed grouse. Author: Christine Cunningham, Alaska Dispatch News, "In grouse country near Chicken, a bird dog has his day," 28 Sep. 2017 The train tracks running over muskeg and the frozen soil of the boreal forest to Churchill from the nearest town to the south, Gillam, 179 miles away, were washed out in 19 places, according to their American corporate owner. Catherine Porter, New York Times, "Canadian Town, Isolated After Losing Rail Link, ‘Feels Held Hostage’," 30 Aug. 2017 Keep in mind, the terrain moose are normally taken in is muskeg, a soggy surface that can make walking as if through deep mud. Rarely is the terrain level and without deadfalls and brush to negotiate. Steve Meyer, Alaska Dispatch News, "You’ve shot your moose. Are you strong enough to pack it out?," 23 Aug. 2017 This is the layer of dead, decomposing sphagnum moss beneath the living layer in the stinky muskeg swamps of the Great White North. Patrick Di Justo, WIRED, "What's Inside Sta-Green Planting Mix? Masterful Decomposition.," 28 July 2010

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'muskeg.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of muskeg

1806, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for muskeg

Cree maske·k

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More from Merriam-Webster on muskeg

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with muskeg

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for muskeg