peat
1[ peet ]
/ pit /
Save This Word!
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.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.
Question 1 of 7
“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
Meet Grammar Coach
Improve Your Writing
Origin of peat
11300–50; Middle English pete (compare Anglo-Latin peta) < ?
Words nearby peat
peasen, pease pudding, peashooter, pea soup, pea-souper, peat, peat bog, peatland, peat moss, peat pot, pea tree
Definition for peat (2 of 2)
peat2
[ 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. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for peat
British Dictionary definitions for peat (1 of 2)
peat1
/ (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 forms of peat
peaty, adjectiveWord Origin for peat
C14: from Anglo-Latin peta, perhaps from Celtic; compare Welsh peth thing
British Dictionary definitions for peat (2 of 2)
peat2
/ (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
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific 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
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.