as in loam
a brown or black material in soil that is formed when plants and animals decay
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Recent Examples of humus
Unless the compost is fully broken down into humus, this incorporation will also work organic matter into the soil, which helps with aeration and further supports microorganisms.
—
Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 25 July 2025
Closer and closer, the aroma draws me like a magnet…sun on granite, black humus, balsam fir, and a faint whiff of yellow birch smoke.
—Literary Hub, 2 June 2025
Collectively, these leftovers become part of the humus of the soil, helping retain water and support soil-dwelling microbes, invertebrates and roots.
—Katarina Zimmer, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
Burnt soil has obviously lost any mulch that had been present as well as the layer of decomposing organic material or humus just below it.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for humus
Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 25 July 2025
Closer and closer, the aroma draws me like a magnet…sun on granite, black humus, balsam fir, and a faint whiff of yellow birch smoke.
—Literary Hub, 2 June 2025
Collectively, these leftovers become part of the humus of the soil, helping retain water and support soil-dwelling microbes, invertebrates and roots.
—Katarina Zimmer, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
Burnt soil has obviously lost any mulch that had been present as well as the layer of decomposing organic material or humus just below it.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for humus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humus
Noun
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Sandy soil is more prone to hydrophobia than loam or clay.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
18 Oct. 2025
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But the conflict between Joe and Ted goes back further and is rooted in a deep loam of backstory that emerges bit by bit.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Water deeply when topsoil dries.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
17 Jan. 2026
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Indeed, topsoil — if successfully seeded with grass and left undisturbed — can generally limit exposure to backfill contaminants buried as far as six feet down, Schroeck and a Wayne State University engineer who works with soils said.—
Violet Ikonomova,
Freep.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Masala chai here is served in mitti kulhad clay cups, the traditional vessels still handmade on a potter’s wheel and once forgotten in favour of glasses and paper or plastic cups.—
Rebecca Ann Hughes,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Watch for pedestal logs, remnants of ancient trees perched atop a crumbly stand of thick clay as if on display.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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One is a spindly stick about 2 1/2 feet (80 centimeters) long that could have been used for digging in the mud.—
Adithi Ramakrishnan,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
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The ensuing attack is staged with harrowing, heart-in-mouth immediacy, shot by Jun with propulsive, handheld looseness and mud on the lens.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Humus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humus. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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