mos, noun

/mɔs//mɒs/
Forms:
moss, mostShow more Also moss, most, mosto.
Origin:
Afrikaans, DutchShow more Afrikaans, from Dutch most must, new wine.
1.
a. New wine: the juice of the grape in its first stages of fermentation. Also attributive.
1862 Lady Duff-Gordon in F. Galton Vacation Tourists (1864) III. 123The people were not at work, but we saw the tubs and vats, and drank ‘most’.
1913 C. Pettman Africanderisms 326Most,..The unfermented juice of the grape.
1913 W.C. Scully Further Reminisc. 65During the wine-pressing season we used to quaff foaming tankards of must, or ‘moss’ as it was called.
1936 E. Rosenthal Old-Time Survivals 36Mosbolletjies are spongy buns, into the making of which goes ‘mos’ or the half-fermented juice of the grape.
1957 L.G. Green Beyond City Lights 12Juice and husks..went into the fermenting vat...When this liquid cooled it became soet mos, pleasant and apparently harmless.
1964 J. Meintjes Manor House 36The room was close with the smell of sweat, wine and mos, but Father was used to it.
1977 Family Radio & TV 19 Sept. 51Sweet grapes, usually Muscadel or Hanepoot, are pressed and fully fermented, resulting in a mos with a high alcohol content.
b. A raising agent in baking, either fermented raisin juice or new wine. Also attributive. See also mosbolletjie.
1890 A.G. Hewitt Cape Cookery 513 lbs. raisins for moss. Wash the raisins, chop them up and put them into a dry seasoned calabash; pour some hot water over them, and let them stand for a day or two till the raisins are fermented;..strain off the moss and set the sponge as if for bread.
1891 H.J. Duckitt Hilda’s ‘Where Is It?’ 143This jar is..only used for making the ‘moss’ in, as one is so much surer of its fermenting in a given time if made in a seasoned jar or calabash.
1936 M. Higham Hsehold Cookery (1941) 262Yeast No.IV. Most. (a) With fresh grapes...(b) With raisins. Souring of most occurs very easily, the juice turning to vinegar, if not used at the right moment.
1936 M. Higham Hsehold Cookery (1941) 273Either fresh grapes or raisins may be used to make the most.
1979 Heard & Faull Our Best Trad. Recipes 90Mos may be made with fresh grapes or raisins, whichever is most convenient.
1979 Heard & Faull Our Best Trad. Recipes 91If intending to use mos yeast regularly for your bread, do not wash out the jar after removing the liquid.
2. combinations
mos-biscuit obsolete, mosbolletjie.
1875 J.J. Bisset Sport & War 12This skin is filled on one side with moss-biscuit, or very dry and light biscuit made from the finest flour, and mixed up with mosto, or the unfermented juice of the grape. It makes a biscuit that will keep for ever and is very nutritious.
1896 M.A. Carey-Hobson At Home in Tvl 340That fragrant beverage, with its accompaniment of moss biscuits.
New wine: the juice of the grape in its first stages of fermentation. Also attributive.
A raising agent in baking, either fermented raisin juice or new wine. Also attributive.
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18621979

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mos-biscuit

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obsolete or obsolescent
moruti, nounn.mos, adverbadv.
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