topsoil
Americannoun
-
topsoils
plural
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Earth Science - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Natural Resources and the Environment - Middle School and High School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
According to LVV's head of environment Tommi Muilu, work at the sites included the removal of trees and topsoil, the construction of site roads and storage areas, and changes to ditches.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
In 1982, Agnes Denes planted 2 acres of wheat seed into a thin layer of topsoil she’d spread over lower Manhattan’s Battery Park landfill.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 15, 2026
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 ● Dec. 29, 2025
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
A huge pile of topsoil appears in our backyard, then a pile of rolled-up squares of grass.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
France's cadmium rate in earth of 0.25 mg/kg is only slightly higher than the EU average of 0.20, according to a 2024 study of topsoils in the bloc.
From Barron's ● May 13, 2026
Healthy topsoils are also seriously diminished, as are agricultural lands, converted to other uses, and global food supplies, which are ever more expensive.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 15, 2010
Other sites may have gooey, very fine clay topsoils, almost inevitably with gooey, very fine clay subsoils as well.
From Gardening Without Irrigation: or without much, anyway by Steve Solomon
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
