compost

 
Pronunciation: /ˈkɒmpɒst/

noun

[mass noun]
  • decayed organic material used as a fertilizer for growing plants: cover with a layer of fine compost
  • a mixture of compost or similar material with loam soil used as a growing medium: sweet peppers can be grown singly in pots of potting compost [count noun]: peat-free composts

verb

[with object]
  • make (vegetable matter or manure) into compost: don’t compost heavily infested plants
  • treat (soil) with compost: we turned clay soil into almost workable soil by composting it

Derivatives

compostable

adjective

composter

noun

Origin:

late Middle English: from Old French composte, from Latin composita, compositum 'something put together', feminine and neuter past participle of componere