topsoil

[ top-soil ]
See synonyms for topsoil on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the fertile, upper part of the soil.

verb (used with object)
  1. to cover (land) with topsoil.

Origin of topsoil

1
First recorded in 1860–65; top1 + soil1

Words Nearby topsoil

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use topsoil in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for topsoil

topsoil

/ (ˈtɒpˌsɔɪl) /


noun
  1. the surface layer of soil

verb(tr)
  1. to spread topsoil on (land)

  2. to remove the topsoil from (land)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for topsoil

topsoil

[ tŏpsoil′ ]


  1. The upper portion of a soil, usually dark colored and rich in organic material. It is more or less equivalent to the upper portion of an A horizon in an ABC soil.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for topsoil

topsoil

The thin, rich layer of soil where most nutrients for plants are found.

Notes for topsoil

Most of the land-based biological activity of the Earth takes place here.

Notes for topsoil

The loss of topsoil through erosion is a major agricultural problem.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.