topsoil

noun

top·​soil ˈtäp-ˌsȯi(-ə)l How to pronounce topsoil (audio)
: surface soil usually including the organic layer in which plants have most of their roots and which the farmer turns over in plowing

Examples of topsoil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Mulch may help rebuild topsoil and enhance water infiltration, potentially boosting plant vigor. Jon Stojan, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025 Ensuring soil is covered with a thick layer of mulch before winter helps to reduce erosion and drying winds that deplete soil nutrients by removing the fertile topsoil. Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Oct. 2025 High winds brought loose topsoil across the state and into the city, limiting visibility and shocking meteorologists who had not documented a weather event of this kind in the city since the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Julia Rendleman, ProPublica, 5 Sep. 2025 Dudas ended up using the boulder in his landscaping, making space for the massive rock in his front yard, adding mulch, topsoil, and indigenous plants to the area, as well as other smaller rocks. Meredith Wilshere, People.com, 31 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for topsoil

Word History

First Known Use

1733, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of topsoil was in 1733

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Cite this Entry

“Topsoil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/topsoil. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

topsoil

noun
top·​soil -ˌsȯil How to pronounce topsoil (audio)
: surface soil usually including the rich upper layer in which plants have most of their roots and which the farmer turns over in plowing

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