topsoil
noun
top·soil
| \ ˈtäp-ˌsȯi(-ə)l
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Definition of topsoil
: 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
The sugar cubes represent a layer of rock, and the clay represents topsoil. — Scientific American, "Weathering Rocks," 8 Aug. 2019 Tunneling is considered bad practice by most archaeologists, who ordinarily excavate from the topsoil down, removing each layer one by one to avoid conflating time periods. — Rachel Poser, Harper's magazine, "Common Ground," 19 Aug. 2019 The building was made out of straw, clay, plaster and lime, with a living roof made from topsoil displaced by the building’s foundation. — James Tarmybloomberg, Los Angeles Times, "Eco-mansions can hold hidden bargains for buyers," 9 Aug. 2019 But as loggers move in, environmental activists say their clearcutting allows vital topsoil to wash away, weakening the ability of the earth to hold extra moisture -- and making the region vulnerable to flooding. — Frederik Pleitgen, CNN, "Fires, floods (and even bugs) are challenging Russia's stance on the climate crisis," 6 Aug. 2019 This included simple acts — such as making topsoil — and more complicated works, including mapping out nature corridors. — Los Angeles Times, "Datebook: Jasmine Little etches the history of art into contemporary ceramics," 18 July 2019 This included simple acts — such as making topsoil — and more complicated works, including mapping out nature corridors. — Carolina A. Miranda, latimes.com, "Datebook: At the Getty, one of Gordon Parks’ most controversial photographic series," 11 July 2019 This included simple acts — such as making topsoil — and more complicated works, including mapping out nature corridors. — Los Angeles Times, "Datebook: Jasmine Little etches the history of art into contemporary ceramics," 18 July 2019 This included simple acts — such as making topsoil — and more complicated works, including mapping out nature corridors. — Carolina A. Miranda, latimes.com, "Datebook: At the Getty, one of Gordon Parks’ most controversial photographic series," 11 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'topsoil.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for topsoil
topsoil
noun
English Language Learners Definition of topsoil
: the upper layer of soil in which plants have most of their roots
See the full definition for topsoil in the English Language Learners Dictionary
topsoil
noun
top·soil
| \ ˈtäp-ˌsȯil
\
\
Kids Definition of topsoil
: the rich upper layer of soil in which plants have most of their roots