podzol

 
Pronunciation: /ˈpɒdzɒl/
(also podsol /ˈpɒdsɒl/)

noun

Soil Science
  • an infertile acidic soil having an ash-like subsurface layer (from which minerals have been leached) and a lower dark stratum, occurring typically under temperate coniferous woodland.

Derivatives

podzolic

adjective

podzolization

noun

podzolize

(also podzolise) verb

Origin:

early 20th century: from Russian, from pod 'under' + zola 'ashes'