brown earth

noun

|Updated on: 22 Jul 2018

Definition of brown earth

: any of a group of intrazonal soils developed in temperate humid regions under deciduous forests and characterized by a dark brown mull horizon that grades through lighter colored soil

Recent Examples of brown earth from the Web

Scoop after scoop of deep brown earth dug carefully with a trowel and then gently poured into gallon-size glass jars etched with a name — John Henry James — and a date — July 12, 1898.

— joe heim, Washington Post, "Sacred ground, now reclaimed: A Charlottesville story," 7 July 2018
Stripes of peach, cream and mud-brown earth and stone lined the curving banks of the Little Missouri River.

— beth j. harpaz, chicagotribune.com, "Badlands and history in Theodore Roosevelt National Park," 5 July 2018
Last year, an insufficient base caused many resorts to close about a month earlier than average, in late February, when the mercury soared and brown earth was exposed.

— john hopewell, Washington Post, "Early opening day for local ski areas is welcome news after last year’s dud of a season," 15 Dec. 2017
Occasionally a slight breeze catches a propeller, spinning it ever so slowly and filtering the harsh sun in a dance of rays on the brown earth.

— jackie spinner, The Christian Science Monitor, "Inside Morocco's renewable revolution," 13 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'brown earth.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.