backfill

[ bak-fil ]

/ ˈbækˌfɪl /

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noun

material used for refilling an excavation.

verb (used with object)

to refill (an excavation).

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Origin of backfill

First recorded in 1950–55; back² + fill

Words nearby backfill

backer, backer-up, backfall, backfield, backfile, backfill, backfire, backfist, backfit, backflash, backflip

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use backfill in a sentence

Soak the roots after planting to eliminate air pockets and backfill with soil as needed.
The gardener’s guide to redbuds|Adrian Higgins|March 4, 2021|Washington Post

British Dictionary definitions for backfill

backfill

/ (ˈbækˌfɪl) /

verb

(tr) to refill an excavated trench, esp (in archaeology) at the end of an investigation

noun

the soil used to do this

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012