peat
1[ peet ]
/ pit /
noun
a highly organic material found in marshy or damp regions, composed of partially decayed vegetable matter: it is cut and dried for use as fuel.
such vegetable matter used as fertilizer or fuel.
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Nearby words
peasecod, peasecod breastplate, peasen, peashooter, peasouper, peat, peat bog, peat moss, peat pot, peat reek, peatland
Origin of peat
11300–50; Middle English pete (compare Anglo-Latin peta) < ?
Definition for peat (2 of 2)
peat
2[ peet ]
/ pit /
noun Obsolete.
a merry young girl; darling (used as a term of endearment).
Origin of peat
2First recorded in 1560–70; origin uncertain
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for peat
British Dictionary definitions for peat (1 of 2)
peat
1/ (piːt) /
noun
- a compact brownish deposit of partially decomposed vegetable matter saturated with water: found in uplands and bogs in temperate and cold regions and used as a fuel (when dried) and as a fertilizer
- (as modifier)peat bog
a piece of dried peat for use as fuel
Derived Formspeaty, adjective
Word Origin for peat
C14: from Anglo-Latin peta, perhaps from Celtic; compare Welsh peth thing
British Dictionary definitions for peat (2 of 2)
peat
2/ (piːt) /
noun
archaic, derogatory a person, esp a woman
obsolete a term of endearment for a girl or woman
Word Origin for peat
C16: of uncertain origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for peat
peat
c.1200, in Scottish Latin, of unknown origin, probably from a Celtic root *pett- (cf. Cornish peyth, Welsh peth "quantity, part, thing," Old Irish pet, Breton pez "piece"). The earliest sense is not of the turf but of the cut piece of it, and the Celtic root may be connected to that of piece.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Science definitions for peat
peat
[ pēt ]
Partially decayed vegetable matter, especially peat moss, found in bogs. The low levels of oxygen and the acidic environment in bogs prevent the degradation of peat. Peat is burned as fuel and also used as fertilizer. See more at bog.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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