top dressing
Americannoun
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a dressing of manure on the surface of land.
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the action of one who top-dresses.
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a top layer of gravel, crushed rock, etc., on a roadway.
noun
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a surface application of manure or fertilizer to land
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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
A top dressing of evergreen branches kept the ice from melting until midsummer.
From Time Magazine Archive
Lime sinks in the soil; and therefore, when used alone, should always be applied as a top dressing to be carried into the soil by rains.
From The Elements of Agriculture A Book for Young Farmers, with Questions Prepared for the Use of Schools by George E. (George Edwin) Waring
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.
