tilth

American  

[tilth] / tɪlθ /

noun

1. the act or operation of tilling land; tillage.

2. the state of being tilled or under cultivation.

3. the physical condition of soil in relation to plant growth.

4. land that is tilled or cultivated.

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tilth British  

/ tɪlθ /

noun

1. the act or process of tilling land

2. the condition of soil or land that has been tilled, esp with respect to suitability for promoting plant growth

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Etymology

Origin of tilth

before 1000; Middle English, Old English. See till ², -th ¹

Explanation

Tilth is land that has been plowed, sowed, and yes, tilled, and is ready to be used for raising crops. An active farm should have plenty of tilth. Tilth is also called tilled land. The words tilth and till come from an Old English word that means basically “to labor, to work.” Tilth is what happens when you work the soil. This unusual-looking word has had several meanings related to work and cultivation, but its main meaning is a type of land that's been used by farmers for their crops.

Example Sentences

What gardeners call tilth, it begins with layers of fallen logs, twigs, broken branches and dried leaves.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 28, 2023

An introduction to the basic components of organic gardening that outlines the secrets of great soil, such as good soil tilth, texture and structure, and an abundance of organic matter.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2022

So, unlike virtually every other gardener in Britain, I had no intention of spending my summer wandering among aristocratic roses and marvelling at the fine tilth of Lord Whatsit’s sandy carrot beds.

From The New Yorker • Aug. 2, 2019

They also can help store moisture by building soil tilth to ward off dry spells, which could span decades.

From The Guardian • Oct. 19, 2018

Nothing prospered there in Hearth or tilth, all being blighted with illness, the spring seed frozen in the ground or the ripe grain rotten, and so it had been for many years.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin