tilth

[ tilth ]

noun

1. the act or operation of tilling land; tillage.
2. the state of being tilled or under cultivation.
3. the physical condition of soil in relation to plant growth.
4. land that is tilled or cultivated.

tilth

/ tɪlθ /

noun

1. the act or process of tilling land
2. the condition of soil or land that has been tilled, esp with respect to suitability for promoting plant growth

Word History and Origins

Origin of tilth¹

before 1000; Middle English, Old English. See till ², -th ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of tilth¹

Old English tilthe; see till ²

Example Sentences

What gardeners call tilth, it begins with layers of fallen logs, twigs, broken branches and dried leaves.

From Seattle Times

Considering women as the functional equivalent of tilth — prepared soil ready to be seeded — reclassified them as property: real estate in which men grow their crops of children.

From Salon

Fertile soil with good tilth does not come about with a single or even several additions of organic material, but from a consistent soil-building program.

From Seattle Times

An introduction to the basic components of organic gardening that outlines the secrets of great soil, such as good soil tilth, texture and structure, and an abundance of organic matter.

From Los Angeles Times

So, unlike virtually every other gardener in Britain, I had no intention of spending my summer wandering among aristocratic roses and marvelling at the fine tilth of Lord Whatsit’s sandy carrot beds.

From The New Yorker