manure
Americannoun
-
excrement, especially of animals, or other refuse used as fertilizer.
-
any natural or artificial substance for fertilizing the soil.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
animal excreta, usually with straw, used to fertilize land
-
any material, esp chemical fertilizer, used to fertilize land
verb
Other Word Forms
- manurer noun
- manurial adjective
- manurially adverb
- well-manured adjective
Etymology
Origin of manure
1350–1400; Middle English manouren to till, cultivate < Middle French manouvrer to do manual work. See maneuver
Explanation
Gardeners use the word manure to mean a fertilizer made from animal waste. Manure is good for helping plants grow and stay healthy. When you spread manure on your vegetable garden, you're feeding the soil and plants with nutrients that encourage growth. The manure itself might be, for example, a combination of cow dung and straw, or slightly decomposed chicken waste. Sometimes the word manure is used for any kind of fertilizer, including those made entirely from plants. The earliest meaning of manure was "to cultivate land," from an Old French root word, manouvrer, "to work with the hands or cultivate."
Vocabulary lists containing manure
Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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Charlotte's Web
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Because of Mr. Terupt
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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.
They complain about ending up covered in manure or dust, or shivering in a freezer.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
Cows would graze on farms after the harvest and their manure would help fertilise the land.
From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026
A few days earlier, activists from the group targeted the Ritz Hotel, dumping bags of manure beside its Christmas tree.
From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026
On Friday, dozens of French farmers protested in front of President Emmanuel Macron's seaside residence, spreading manure nearby to demonstrate the Mercosur trade deal and other grievances.
From Barron's • Dec. 19, 2025
Their high-pitched peeping vibrated in my ears, and the soles of my shoes picked up layers of crappy chicken manure, but it was impossible to avoid.
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
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.
