top dressing
Americannoun
-
a dressing of manure on the surface of land.
-
the action of one who top-dresses.
-
a top layer of gravel, crushed rock, etc., on a roadway.
noun
-
a surface application of manure or fertilizer to land
-
a thin layer of loose gravel that covers the top of a road surface
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of top dressing
First recorded in 1755–65
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.
Add a top dressing of compost and/or earthworm castings to give the plant an added boost.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 31, 2023
Purchase already-blooming bulbs, then sweeten the deal with a top dressing of anticipation by putting together a DIY bulb-forcing kit with everything needed to keep the show going well into the new year.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 3, 2022
That’s not considered a compost, that’s more a top dressing.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 10, 2021
Then the tired manure is stripped off, sold to golf courses as a top dressing for $1.50 a ton.
From Time Magazine Archive
Now this effect was produced by the use of the guano as a top dressing; a method universally acknowledged to be the most unfavorable to the development of the full value of the application.
From Guano A Treatise of Practical Information for Farmers by Robinson, Solon
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.
