compost
pronunciation
How to pronounce compost in British English:
UK [ˈkɒmpɒst]
How to pronounce compost in American English:
US [ˈkɑmpoʊst]
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- Noun:
- a mixture of decaying vegetation and manure; used as a fertilizer
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- Verb:
- convert to compost
Word Origin
- compost (n.)
- late 14c., compote, from Old French composte "mixture of leaves, manure, etc., for fertilizing land" (13c.), also "condiment," from Vulgar Latin *composita, noun use of fem. of Latin compositus, past participle of componere "to put together" (see composite). The fertilizer sense is attested in English from 1580s, and the French word in this sense is a 19th century borrowing from English.
- compost (v.)
- "make into compost," 1829, from compost (n.). Related: Composted; composting.
Example
- 1. There 's a reason so many gardeners swear by adding used coffee grounds to compost .
- 2. If you have poor soil you may want to add organic matter or a multi-purpose compost .
- 3. Prisoners grow their own organic vegetables , turn their garbage into compost and tend to chickens , cows , horses and sheep .
- 4. Think of what you can reduce and re-use , and call your county or city waste management to find out about local compost programs .
- 5. Other scientists have looked at materials like leaf compost or manure , while professor brown favors composts high in iron content , like the sludge from wastewater treatment .