mulch

noun

ˈməlch 

ˈməlsh

: a protective covering (as of sawdust, compost, or paper) spread or left on the ground to reduce evaporation, maintain even soil temperature, prevent erosion, control weeds, enrich the soil, or keep fruit (such as strawberries) clean

mulch transitive verb

Examples of mulch in a Sentence

She spread some mulch around the plants.

Recent Examples on the Web

Beth Neumeier was 48-years-old when her battered body was found hidden underneath a mulch pile in a vacant lot on 24th Street in the Middle Keys city of Marathon on May 4, 2008, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. —David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 6 June 2024

Through the season, pull the mulch back; sprinkle fertilizer over the soil, water, then replace the mulch. —Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2024

Add a layer of mulch to protect the roots during cold weather. —Steve Bender, Southern Living, 7 May 2024

Using mulch or vigorous native groundcovers to cover bare soil will help discourage any new generations of ground ivy from recolonizing the site. —Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 7 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

perhaps irregular from English dialect melch soft, mild

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing mulch

• stubble mulch

Kids Definition

mulch

1 of 2 noun

ˈməlch

: a covering (as of straw or sawdust) spread over the ground to protect the roots of plants from heat, cold, or evaporation, prevent soil loss, control weeds, enrich the soil, or keep fruit (as strawberries) clean

mulch

2 of 2 verb

: to cover with mulch