topsoil
noun
top·soil
ˈtäp-ˌsȯi(-ə)l 
: 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
Bracken and his wife, Kelly, own several construction and contracting-related companies, including for excavation, renting dumpsters and trailers, hauling garbage, providing transport support and aggregate materials, as well as topsoil and pulverized soil.
—
Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2023
To start, there are six compost preparations laced with half a dozen medicinal herbs — yarrow, chamomile, stinging nettle, oak bark, dandelion and valerian — which rest in the compost for set periods of time before the compost is mixed into the topsoil.
—Nevin Martell, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2023
The fields on which Kinnard typically spreads manure are highly susceptible to pollution due to the short distance between the topsoil and the water table below, and the prevalence of karst geology — fractures in the bedrock that allow liquid manure to easily access the water table.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 15 May 2023
Who Fled On Monday, authorities in Everman, Texas, revealed cadaver dogs alerted authorities to the topsoil where a shed once stood on the property where the family lived, prior to the disappearance and presumed death of Noel, according to a news release.
—Tristan Balagtas, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2023
It might be turned into fertilizer but mostly it’s piled high and decays, ravaging topsoil and washing down hillsides into rivers.
—Ann Trieger Kurland, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Jan. 2023
As a result, native plants in the Midwest that once grabbed hold of the region's heavy clay topsoil may have a harder time growing.
—Doc Louallen, USA TODAY, 30 Aug. 2023
Walter De Maria filled a floor in a building in SoHo with topsoil.
—Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023
One was with the Chicago Department of Transportation for topsoil delivery; the other was with the Department of Assets and Information Services for the rental of heavy equipment and operators during natural disasters.
—Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2023
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Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2023
To start, there are six compost preparations laced with half a dozen medicinal herbs — yarrow, chamomile, stinging nettle, oak bark, dandelion and valerian — which rest in the compost for set periods of time before the compost is mixed into the topsoil.
—Nevin Martell, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2023
The fields on which Kinnard typically spreads manure are highly susceptible to pollution due to the short distance between the topsoil and the water table below, and the prevalence of karst geology — fractures in the bedrock that allow liquid manure to easily access the water table.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 15 May 2023
Who Fled On Monday, authorities in Everman, Texas, revealed cadaver dogs alerted authorities to the topsoil where a shed once stood on the property where the family lived, prior to the disappearance and presumed death of Noel, according to a news release.
—Tristan Balagtas, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2023
It might be turned into fertilizer but mostly it’s piled high and decays, ravaging topsoil and washing down hillsides into rivers.
—Ann Trieger Kurland, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Jan. 2023
As a result, native plants in the Midwest that once grabbed hold of the region's heavy clay topsoil may have a harder time growing.
—Doc Louallen, USA TODAY, 30 Aug. 2023
Walter De Maria filled a floor in a building in SoHo with topsoil.
—Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023
One was with the Chicago Department of Transportation for topsoil delivery; the other was with the Department of Assets and Information Services for the rental of heavy equipment and operators during natural disasters.
—Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'topsoil.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1733, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near topsoil
Cite this Entry
“Topsoil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/topsoil. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
topsoil
noun
top·soil
-ˌsȯil
: 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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