topdressing

noun

top·​dress·​ing ˈtäp-ˌdre-siŋ 

variants or top dressing or less commonly top-dressing

plural topdressings or top dressings also top-dressings

: a material (such as compost) used to top-dress soil

Bagged steer manure was used in the past as a topdressing for lawns when overseeding.

—Bob Morris

By adding an inch of top dressing each year you can get a nice thick layer of topsoil in a few years.

—Gerald Filipski

also : the act or practice of applying topdressing

Cultivation in conjunction with topdressing should be accomplished during times of the year when there is adequate moisture available and when the turf is actively growing and is in a position to repair itself.

—Jim Hermann

Examples of topdressing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Working compost into the soil or applying it as a topdressing slowly improves soil structure and counteracts compact soils and pH issues. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Mar. 2025

Work the topdressing into the soil by raking it in. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Sep. 2024

Let the plugs dry for a few days, then break them up with vigorous raking to create a thin, beneficial topdressing. —Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2023

Give your perennials a boost this fall with a topdressing of organic matter. —Melinda Myers, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1733, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for topdressing

• accessing
• addressing
• assessing
• caressing
• compressing
• confessing
• depressing
• distressing
• expressing
• hairdressing
• impressing
• obsessing

Kids Definition

topdressing

noun

top·​dress·​ing -ˌdres-iŋ 

: a material used to top-dress soil