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
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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 Authorities dug up the patio, and a dog alerted to the topsoil in that area, police have said. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Aug. 2025 To shape the rugged Hyde Park property, 60,000 pounds of dynamite, 72,000 cubic yards of topsoil, and 57,000 linear feet of drainage pipe were used. Boston Herald Staff, Boston Herald, 12 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 11 Sep. 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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