topsoil
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
-
to spread topsoil on (land)
-
to remove the topsoil from (land)
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.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of topsoil
Vocabulary lists containing topsoil
Natural Resources and the Environment - Introductory
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Earth Science - Middle School
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Natural Resources and the Environment - Middle School and High School
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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.
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 • Dec. 21, 2025
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 • Dec. 7, 2025
The Army Corps and Federal Emergency Management Agency have said crews would clear wildfire debris and up to 6 inches of topsoil in ash-covered portions of the property.
From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2025
The dung beetle, which disperses seeds as it rolls its dung balls, fertilizing topsoil and enhancing biodiversity and engineering its environment, normally orients itself using the Milky Way and the moon.
From Salon • Apr. 15, 2025
“You know, Nan, I was talking to Jubilee about buying some grass seed for the yard. You’re losing your topsoil because there’s nothing rooted down.”
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
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.
