topsoil

American  

[top-soil] / ˈtɒpˌsɔɪl /

noun

1. the fertile, upper part of the soil.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cover (land) with topsoil.

topsoil British  

/ ˈtɒpˌsɔɪl /

noun

1. the surface layer of soil

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verb

1. to spread topsoil on (land)

2. to remove the topsoil from (land)

topsoil Scientific  

/ tŏp′soil′ /

1. The upper portion of a soil, usually dark colored and rich in organic material. It is more or less equivalent to the upper portion of an A horizon in an ABC soil.

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topsoil Cultural  

1. The thin, rich layer of soil where most nutrients for plants are found.

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Discover More

The loss of topsoil through erosion is a major agricultural problem.

Most of the land-based biological activity of the Earth takes place here.

Etymology

Origin of topsoil

First recorded in 1860–65; top ¹ + soil ¹

Example Sentences

Typically, after work crews clear away fire debris and several inches of topsoil from burned-down homes, federal or state disaster officials arrange for the same contractors to test the soil for lingering contamination.

From Los Angeles Times

One method -- termed "moving mountains" -- was described in 2015 by China's top industry and technology regulator as "first cutting down trees, then clearing weeds and finally stripping away the topsoil, causing irreparable damage".

From Barron's

In some cases, several feet of topsoil made potentially toxic by the fires must be scraped up and trucked away.

From The Wall Street Journal

They shoveled off the topsoil, and then they leveled the surface and filled the cracks in with concrete.

From Literature

The typical approach to dealing with contaminated dirt is stripping away the topsoil.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• clay
• coast
• dirt
• dust
• gravel
• land
• mud
• sand
• shore
• surface
• terrain
• turf