landfill

[ land-fil ]

noun

1. a low area of land that is built up from deposits of solid refuse in layers covered by soil.
2. the solid refuse itself.

verb (used without object)

1. to create more usable land by this means.

verb (used with object)

1. to make (an area of land) by means of a landfill.
2. to use in a landfill:

   to landfill millions of tons of garbage each year.

landfill

/ ˈlændˌfɪl /

noun

1. 1. disposal of waste material by burying it under layers of earth
   2. ( as modifier )

      landfill sites

landfill

/ lănd′fĭl′ /

1. A disposal site where solid waste, such as paper, glass, and metal, is buried between layers of dirt and other materials in such a way as to reduce contamination of the surrounding land. Modern landfills are often lined with layers of absorbent material and sheets of plastic to keep pollutants from leaking into the soil and water.
2. Also called sanitary landfill

Word History and Origins

Origin of landfill¹

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45; land + fill

Example Sentences

Several hundred million tons of plastics are produced each year globally, and an estimated 79% of this material ends up in landfills or "becomes fugitive in the environment," the researchers wrote in their report.

From Science Daily

James Howells, 39, has been trying to retrieve the hard drive containing his lost Bitcoin fortune, which he believes is in a Newport landfill site, for over a decade.

From BBC

The rest ends up being incinerated, sent to landfills, or discarded on the landscape, where they are often flushed into rivers or out to sea.

From Los Angeles Times

An ExxonMobil spokesperson recently told ProPublica that the company’s chemical recycling process works, and that it has “processed more than 60 million pounds of plastic waste into usable raw materials, keeping it out of landfills.”

From Salon

Under its terms, the nation’s largest retailer will be required to pay penalties for allegedly dumping in state landfills nearly 80 tons of hazardous waste and confidential customer information from its stores throughout the state.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• depot
• junkyard