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compost

Pronunciation: /ˈkɒmpɒst/

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Definition of compost

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

compost in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of compost in the US English dictionary