noun
moxa; dried mugwort for moxibustion
Specifically the dried, processed mugwort leaf used as a combustible material in moxibustion (灸). Often sold in cones or sticks.
See also: 灸
お灸をするときは、もぐさを皮膚の上で燃やします。
When doing moxibustion, you burn moxa on the skin.
noun
Japanese mugwort; Artemisia princeps
The plant itself, a perennial herb native to Japan. Its leaves are used to make moxa, and young leaves are sometimes eaten as a wild vegetable.
See also: ヨモギ
ヨモギは、もぐさの原料になる植物です。
Yomogi is the plant that becomes the raw material for moxa.
The reading もぐさ is a contraction of 燃やす草 (moyasu kusa, 'burning grass'), referring to its use in moxibustion. The kanji 艾 is a Chinese character for mugwort, adopted for its meaning.