plural peats
1
a
: a dark brown fibrous material that is formed primarily by the partial decomposition of organic matter and especially plants (such as sphagnum moss) in wet, oxygen-deficient areas (such as bogs or swamps) and that is harvested especially for use as a fuel for heating or cooking or as a soil amendment
Some boreal forests contain peat, which can slow fire—if it's wet. But if that peat is dry, it can burn underground and spread fires even farther.—Caroline Mimbs Nyce
Behind the … houses was the bog: an immense, bronze-hued ocean of deep peat, stretching into the horizon.—Tomas Weber
—sometimes used before another nounNow, the continuing problems of sea rise, water pollution, salt-water intrusion and the erosion of peat soil that make up much of the marshland threaten to compound the historic damage from development.—The Miami Herald
As a peat bog, it helps to play a vital role in tackling climate change by locking away carbon as well as helping to regulate flood flows for the local community.—Jo Barnes
b
: peat moss
Dig a hole as deep as the plant's rootball and five times as wide. Amend the backfill soil with 50 percent peat …—Jim McCausland
2
Scotland
: a section or piece of dried peat for use as fuel : turf sense 4b
While not uncommon these days for peats to be cut by machine there are still many who cut in the traditional way, and lines of peat banks both abandoned and still in use can be seen in landscapes wherever peat is cut.—Christine Smith
peaty
adjective
Peaty soils contain about 20-25% of organic matter whereas there is about 50-90% in true peats.
—J. A. R. Lockhart and A. J. L. Wiseman
dated, disparaging
: a bold lively woman
Cite this Entry
“Peat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peat. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.
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