humus
the dark organic material in soils, produced by the decomposition of vegetable or animal matter and essential to the fertility of the earth.
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Origin of humus
1Other words from humus
- non·hu·mus, noun
Words Nearby humus
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use humus in a sentence
But enough humus–time to get back outside, and see a little archeology!
The particular phenomena of vegetation also afford abundant evidence that humus cannot be the only source of carbon.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry | Thomas AndersonIt did not notice Forrester scurrying away in the shape of an ant through the leaves and thick humus of the jungle floor.
Pagan Passions | Gordon Randall GarrettThe generation of the humus-acids is probably hastened during the digestion of the many half-decayed leaves which worms consume.
The Ontario Readers: The High School Reader, 1886 | Ministry of EducationThe upper few inches of soil is humus rich in organic matter; below this is clay.
Amphibians and Reptiles of the Rainforests of Southern El Peten, Guatemala | William E. Duellman
See that the soil contains enough humus or vegetable mold to make it rich and to enable it to hold moisture.
The Practical Garden-Book | C. E. Hunn
British Dictionary definitions for humus
/ (ˈhjuːməs) /
a dark brown or black colloidal mass of partially decomposed organic matter in the soil. It improves the fertility and water retention of the soil and is therefore important for plant growth
Origin of humus
1confusable For humus
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
Scientific definitions for humus
[ hyōō′məs ]
A dark-brown or black organic substance made up of decayed plant or animal matter. Humus provides nutrients for plants and increases the ability of soil to retain water.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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