landfill

[ land-fil ]

/ ˈlændˌfɪl /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for landfill on Thesaurus.com

noun Also called sanitary landfill.

a low area of land that is built up from deposits of solid refuse in layers covered by soil.

the solid refuse itself.

verb (used without object)

to create more usable land by this means.

verb (used with object)

to make (an area of land) by means of a landfill.

to use in a landfill: to landfill millions of tons of garbage each year.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of landfill

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45; land + fill

Words nearby landfill

lander, Landes, Landeshauptmann, landfall, landfast, landfill, land flowing with milk and honey, land forces, landform, land freeze, land girl

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use landfill in a sentence

Those efforts, though, are running up against tight restrictions on the types of projects already approved for those activities, like replanting a forest, capturing landfill gas or growing rice in flooded fields.
Morning Report: Growing the County’s Carbon-Cutting Efforts|Voice of San Diego|February 3, 2021|Voice of San Diego
Those closures likely sent more cardboard and other recyclable materials to landfills.
Unmasking the pandemic’s pollution problem|Stephen Ornes|January 28, 2021|Science News For Students
The amount of plastic recycled in the United States has increased over the last few decades — but those levels still pale in comparison with the amount of plastic that goes into landfills.
Chemists are reimagining recycling to keep plastics out of landfills|Maria Temming|January 27, 2021|Science News
Businesses like restaurants can send their food scraps to the Miramar Greenery composting facility at the landfill, but they have to get a permit and comply with a bunch of other rules.
Environment Report: Local Farms Want Your Table Scraps|MacKenzie Elmer|January 25, 2021|Voice of San Diego

For instance, a developer could invest in a project to capture planet-warming methane that leaks from a landfill but there aren’t a lot of projects like that left.
County’s New Climate Plan Could Use the System That Doomed the Old Plan|MacKenzie Elmer|January 13, 2021|Voice of San Diego
That year, landfill gas accounted for 9,800 gigawatts of electricity generation, up more than 90 percent from 2003.
Garbage In, Power Out|The Daily Beast|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Covering 13 acres of a landfill no longer in use in West Nyack, it has a generating capacity of 2.36 megawatts.
Garbage In, Power Out|The Daily Beast|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For those in the resource world, every ton of junk that goes into a landfill represents wasted energy.
Garbage In, Power Out|The Daily Beast|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the end of October, the first landfill solar field in New York State was completed.
Garbage In, Power Out|The Daily Beast|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Every piece of garbage that is diverted from a landfill is a penny saved.
Will Food Waste Power Your Home?|The Daily Beast|June 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for landfill

landfill

/ (ˈlændˌfɪl) /

noun

disposal of waste material by burying it under layers of earth
(as modifier)landfill sites

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 landfill

landfill

[ lănd′fĭl′ ]

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. Also called sanitary landfill

landfill

Origin of landfill

Words nearby landfill

Words related to landfill

How to use landfill in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for landfill

Scientific definitions for landfill