landfill
Americannoun
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a low area of land that is built up from deposits of solid refuse in layers covered by soil.
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the solid refuse itself.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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to make (an area of land) by means of a landfill.
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to use in a landfill.
to landfill millions of tons of garbage each year.
noun
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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.
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Also called sanitary landfill
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of landfill
Explanation
A landfill is a pit that is covered with dirt after being filled with waste of some kind. Some landfills are filled in with rocks for the specific purpose of raising the earth and building something on it. Garbage dumps are often called landfills, even when they're not literal pits that are filled and covered, and while "hole full of trash" might be your first thought when you hear the word, landfills are often simply a way of solidifying the ground for building. Many port cities, including Boston and Portland, Maine, have entire neighborhoods, once just areas covered in water, that were built on landfills.
Vocabulary lists containing landfill
East Asia - Middle School
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East Asia - Introductory
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East Asia - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Another landfill fire in Tangerang just months later, which destroyed about 80% of the 35-hectare site, was believed to have been triggered the same way.
From BBC • Jul. 8, 2026
Wahyu and others, however, believe that until central and regional governments in Indonesia show a true commitment to improving waste management systems, the problem of landfill fires will persist.
From BBC • Jul. 8, 2026
The community’s protectiveness saved Pinky from the landfill.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2026
Even so, the researchers believe the approach could eventually reduce both landfill waste and marine debris across Hawaii.
From Science Daily • Jun. 28, 2026
In Chiba City, where parkland had been created on landfill dumped into Tokyo Bay, the sidewalks rippled like fabric.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
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.
