compost

American  

[kom-pohst] / ˈkɒm poʊst /

noun

1. a mixture of various decaying organic substances, as dead leaves or manure, used for fertilizing soil.

2. a composition; compound.

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verb (used with object)

• composts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• composted,
  past participle,  past
• composting
  present participle

1. to use in compost; make compost of.

   to compost manure and kitchen scraps.

2. to apply compost to (soil).

verb (used without object)

• composts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• composted,
  past participle,  past
• composting
  present participle

1. to make compost.

   Shredded leaves will compost easily.

compost British  

/ ˈkɒmpɒst /

noun

1. a mixture of organic residues such as decomposed vegetation, manure, etc, used as a fertilizer

2. a mixture, normally of plant remains, peat, charcoal, etc, in which plants are grown, esp in pots

3. rare a compound or mixture

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verb

1. to make (vegetable matter) into compost

2. to fertilize with compost

compost Scientific  

/ kŏm′pōst′ /

1. A mixture of decayed or decaying organic matter used to fertilize soil. Compost is usually made by gathering plant material, such as leaves, grass clippings, and vegetable peels, into a pile or bin and letting it decompose as a result of the action of aerobic bacteria, fungi, and other organisms.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• composter
  noun
• compostable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• composting
  present
• composted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• compost
  simple
• composts
  simple
• have composted
  perfect
• has composted
  perfect
• am composting
  progressive
• are composting
  progressive
• is composting
  progressive
• have been composting
  perfect progressive
• has been composting
  perfect progressive

Past

• composted
  simple
• had composted
  perfect
• was composting
  progressive
• were composting
  progressive
• had been composting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will compost
  simple
• will have composted
  perfect
• will be composting
  progressive
• will have been composting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of compost

1350–1400; Middle English < Anglo-French, Middle French < Latin compositum, noun use of neuter of compositus composite; cf. compote

Explanation

Compost is organic matter like orange peels and coffee grounds mixed together and left to decay, usually in a compost pile, then used as fertilizer. To make such a mixture is to compost. To compost is to make a mixture of organic matter, such as manure and leftover food, and leave it somewhere like a compost pile in the back yard or in a bucket with a tight lid in the kitchen. The mixture is also called compost, and after it sits and decays for a while, voila! It turns into fertilizer that makes the soil rich and the plants happy.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

compost composts composted composting

A sign outside the bathroom noted he recently cleaned the compost toilet for a week, and it encouraged peers to thank him if the facilities were nice or “get at them” if they were gross.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

These include keeping soil permanently covered, applying compost, using more diverse crop rotations and reducing the use of mineral fertilizers and pesticides.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

Glinting in the night, halfway up a hill in Japan, the greenhouse-like "Ku-An" test lab is lit by electricity harnessed from 1,500 wooden boxes of soil and compost.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

It take about a year to turn it into compost, which Steph said had just won an award for its quality.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

There was only one shovel, so we took turns at the compost pile.

From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon

But if suitable composts and application methods were aligned with target crops and growth environments, crop yields can be increased and organic carbon in soils replenished.

From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2023

First Ave. The unassuming brick-clad structure generates its own power, collects and treats its own water, and composts its waste.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 25, 2022

The brand also composts its organic waste and will soon offer fully biodegradable packaging.

From New York Times ● Nov. 18, 2020

A manure-based system composts animal wastes and returns it to the land.

From The Guardian ● May 28, 2019

Sea sand may be advantageously used both for propagating purposes and for mixing in composts.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 7 "Horticulture" to "Hudson Bay" by Various

Her company has raised $25 million and composted more than 600 bodies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 3, 2026

Theoretically such programs, which have been adopted in other states, including Washington, Oregon and Colorado, spur technological innovation and potentially create circular economies — where products are designed to be reused, recycled or composted.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2025

The ultimate solution to Keurig's plastic footprint, she said, is a product that eliminates "the need to collect anything back from customers," like a fiber-based pod that can be composted along with the grounds.

From Salon ● Dec. 19, 2024

In the past few years, more plastic has been going to incinerators and less food waste - which councils are now sending to anaerobic digesters or to be composted.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2024

I managed to avoid the details of manure and grubs and composted guts.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

Further funding has allowed them to focus on research and development and set up a composting school to help other projects in other communities get going.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

Helou said Blumenfield’s motion completes the loop by keeping food waste close to home, creating more local composting and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transporting waste outside of the city.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

Signed into law in 2016, the state’s composting bill mandated a gradual increase in the amount of organic waste that must be diverted away from landfills.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

Hughes visited Return Home, south of Seattle in Washington state, the world's first large-scale human composting facility.

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2026

My new house will have a composting toilet and, right above the kitchen, a cozy sleeping loft.

From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio

Related Words

• fertilizer