mulch

[ muhlch ]

/ mʌltʃ /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: mulch / mulched / mulching on Thesaurus.com

noun

a covering, as of straw, compost, or plastic sheeting, spread on the ground around plants to prevent excessive evaporation or erosion, enrich the soil, inhibit weed growth, etc.

verb (used with object)

to cover with mulch.

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 mulch

1650–60; noun use of obsolete mulch (adj.), Middle English molsh soft, Old English myl(i)sc mellow; cognate with dialectal German molsch soft, overripe

OTHER WORDS FROM mulch

non·mulched, adjective

Words nearby mulch

muktuk, mulatto, mulberry, mulberry family, Mulberry Harbour, mulch, mulcher, Mulciber, mulct, Muldoon, mule

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

How to use mulch in a sentence

I focused on the sound of the forest mulch crunching beneath my feet.
How a Literary Road Trip Helped Me Cope with Infertility|smurguia|August 17, 2021|Outside Online
This all-in-one yard tool can vacuum, leaf blow, and mulch, and is less than nine pounds for easy maneuvering and lifting.
Best leaf vacuum: With our picks for yard maintenance, you’ll have a clean lawn in the bag|Billy Cadden|July 21, 2021|Popular-Science
You can conveniently grind down up to 16 bags of mulch into one with this leaf blower vacuum.
Best leaf blower to tame your wild yard|empire|July 20, 2021|Popular-Science
Logee’s adds some mulch film to make sure everything stays in the pot.
How to ship your beloved houseplants across the country without killing them|John Kennedy|June 22, 2021|Popular-Science

He didn’t just deliver your mulch, he also might take it out back and spread it.
Longtime worker at Frager’s Ace Hardware fatally shot on Memorial Day|Peter Hermann|June 3, 2021|Washington Post
Other plants may be able to get along with a mulch of grass-clippings from the lawn.
Amateur Gardencraft|Eben E. Rexford
Others advise leaving the clippings to act as a sort of mulch.
Amateur Gardencraft|Eben E. Rexford
It is perennial and hardy in the northern states, but it is advisable to give it a mulch on the approach of winter.
The Practical Garden-Book|C. E. Hunn
Into the heavy borders about the boundaries of the place the autumn leaves will drift and afford an excellent mulch.
The Practical Garden-Book|C. E. Hunn
When it is impossible to furnish water, it would be a good plan to mulch heavily with straw or some other substance.
The Practical Garden-Book|C. E. Hunn

British Dictionary definitions for mulch

mulch

/ (mʌltʃ) /

noun

half-rotten vegetable matter, peat, etc, used to prevent soil erosion or enrich the soil

verb

(tr) to cover (the surface of land) with mulch

Word Origin for mulch

C17: from obsolete mulch soft; related to Old English mylisc mellow; compare dialect German molsch soft, Latin mollis soft

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

mulch

Origin of mulch

OTHER WORDS FROM mulch

Words nearby mulch

Words related to mulch

How to use mulch in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mulch

Word Origin for mulch