loamy
Americanadjective
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relating to, characterized by, or being soil that is rich and crumbly because it contains roughly equal parts of sand and silt and a smaller proportion of clay.
Most roses thrive in loamy, well-drained soil and prefer consistent watering.
This all-terrain road bike bounds over loamy forest trails as easily as it rolls over smooth tarmac.
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similar to or evoking rich soil in scent, consistency, etc..
The Margaux wine reveals some dusty, loamy, earthy notes intermixed with licorice and herbs.
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relating to or being a mixture of clay, sand, straw, etc., used in plastering walls, stopping holes, making molds for founding, etc..
The pleasant natural color of loamy plaster gives a warm feeling to this traditionally built home.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of loamy
First recorded in 1595–1605; loam ( def. ) + -y 1 ( def. )
Explanation
Something that's loamy is full of rich soil. There are some plants that thrive only in loamy spots. Loamy soil is composed of loam, a very rich mixture of clay, sand, and silt. If a patch of earth is loamy, it's full of nutrients and well drained — perfect for growing most plants and trees. The Old English root of loam is lam, "mud" or "muddy earth," which stems from a root that translates to "slimy."
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.
See Examples For:
There’s the rich, loamy aroma of the Sequoia forests, which feels like nature itself is breathing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2024
Part of the message, written on two, scrunched-up translucent sheets of paper, read: “Bismark Omit leafage buck bank / Paul Ramify loamy event false new event.”
From New York Times ● Jan. 8, 2024
The conditions at Cornell also intentionally disfavored turf-grass weeds, which prefer the rich, loamy soil that our lawns typically inhabit.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 25, 2023
This brings a smile from the first sip, with flavors of Bing cherries, dried cranberries and aromas of loamy earth.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 12, 2023
I scoop up a handful and breathe in the loamy smell.
From "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate
We’re used to adding organic matter in the form of compost, leaf mold, peat moss or some similar amendment to make the soil loamier, but in older times a pasture was often the source.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 20, 2015
The new foundation led to a much deeper and loamier track than in years past, and the majority of the riders that we talked to seemed to like it.
From Time Magazine Archive
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