landfill

[land-fil]

noun

1. a low area of land that is built up from deposits of solid refuse in layers covered by soil.

2. the solid refuse itself.

verb (used without object)

1. to create more usable land by this means.

verb (used with object)

1. to make (an area of land) by means of a landfill.

2. to use in a landfill.

   to landfill millions of tons of garbage each year.

landfill

/ ˈlændˌfɪl /

noun

1. 1. disposal of waste material by burying it under layers of earth

   2. ( as modifier )

      landfill sites

landfill

1. A disposal site where solid waste, such as paper, glass, and metal, is buried between layers of dirt and other materials in such a way as to reduce contamination of the surrounding land. Modern landfills are often lined with layers of absorbent material and sheets of plastic to keep pollutants from leaking into the soil and water.

2. Also called sanitary landfill

Word History and Origins

Origin of landfill¹

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45; land + fill

Example Sentences

But we pay a heavy price for comfort: Lycra, which is in almost everything we wear now, lives forever in landfills.

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The one presented is about as elegant as a demolition derby conducted at a landfill, with so many elements flying around that the movie ends in a thick cloud of culpability.

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Gen Z members value keeping clothing out of landfills and are also shopping on a budget for their wardrobes as well as home decor, said Kent Kramer, CEO of Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana.

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California is considering adopting new rules to better identify and more quickly to respond to dangerous methane leaks and underground fires at landfills statewide.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A vast canyon of buried garbage has been smoldering inside a landfill in the Santa Clarita Valley, inducing geysers of liquid waste onto the surface and noxious fumes into the air.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• depot 
• junkyard