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Synonyms

humus

American  
[hyoo-muhs, yoo-] / ˈhyu məs, ˈyu- /

noun

  1. the dark organic material in soils, produced by the decomposition of vegetable or animal matter and essential to the fertility of the earth.

humus British  
/ ˈhjuːməs /

noun

  1. 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

"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
humus Scientific  
/ hyo̅o̅′məs /

  1. 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.

Commonly Confused

See hummus

Other Word Forms

  • nonhumus noun

Etymology

Origin of humus

1790–1800; < Latin: earth, ground; akin to Greek chamaí on the ground, chthṓn earth, Sanskrit kṣam-, Lithuanian žẽmė, Serbo-Croatian zèmlja ground, earth; chameleon, chthonian, zemstvo; Homo

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.