Definition of compost
1
: a mixture that consists largely of decayed organic matter and is used for fertilizing and conditioning land
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Recent Examples of compost from the Web
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Spread a light layer of compost or pelleted seed establishment mulch over the new seed to help keep it moist.
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If the plants are not infested with spider mites, they can be recycled into the compost pile.
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The Howard County Council’s contentious mulch operations bill made a comeback on Monday and County Executive Allan Kittleman submitted six amendments to the proposal that would allow compost or mulching on some agricultural land.
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The occupiers sort their trash, recycling, and compost and deposit it in nearby city receptacles.
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Local compost, manures or commercial garden soils are good sources of organic matter.
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But these in fact are not compostable, according to Sunset Scavenger, the waste management company that recycles, composts and picks up trash for many San Francisco bars.
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Soil, mulch, compost, plants, grasses and trees — even drip irrigation hoses, rain barrels and moisture controls for sprinkler or irrigation systems — are among the eligible tax-free items.
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Using their iPads, the students had to decide which items — a banana peel, or plastic bottle or a milk carton, as examples — could be disposed in a landfill, in the recycle or in a compost bin.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'compost.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of compost
Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin compostum, from Latin, neuter of compositus, compostus, past participle of componere
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: 1587
in the meaning defined at sense 1
See Words from the same yearDefinition of compost
composted;
composting;
composts
: to convert (a material, such as plant debris) to compost
Examples of compost in a Sentence
We compost leaves in our backyard.
Recent Examples of compost from the Web
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Frappuccinos will still have the dome lids, but the traditional plastic straws will be made from either paper or plastic that can be composted, CNN reported.
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The eco-conscious city has been an environmental leader in the U.S., working to aggressively curb the amount of trash that goes into landfills by requiring more options that can be recycled or composted.
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The school already composts food waste, but the new devices — the biggest is about the size of a washer and dryer — are expected to supercharge that process, cutting costs by 40 percent over traditional composting.
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Behind those mirrored doors with have a wet bath complete with a @natureshead composting toilet and an on demand hot water heater.
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About half of the daily haul is converted to energy or composted.
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Put them out for landscape waste pickup rather than composting them.
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At the time, a composter named Charlie Bayrer and an ad hoc group of volunteers were collecting food scraps and composting on some old baseball diamonds in Red Hook that had been turned into an urban farm.
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Silverman says that compostable products cannot compost without the correct conditions and organisms, so the soles shouldn’t just biodegrade during use.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'compost.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of compost
1829
COMPOST Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of compost for English Language Learners
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: a decayed mixture of plants (such as leaves and grass) that is used to improve the soil in a garden
compost
Definition of compost for English Language Learners
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: to change (plant materials) into compost
COMPOST Defined for Kids
Definition of compost for Students
: decayed organic material (as of leaves and grass) used to improve soil especially for growing crops
Learn More about compost
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See words that rhyme with compost Spanish Central: Translation of compost Nglish: Translation of compost for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of compost for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about compost
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