compost
compost — noun
1. a dark brown material produced by the natural breakdown of leaves and other plan
a dark brown material produced by the natural breakdown of leaves and other plant matter, used in gardens to make the soil richer and improve plant growth.
Ari spread a layer of compost around the tomato plants in his vegetable patch.
collocation: spread a layer of compost
The community garden sells bags of compost to local residents every spring.
Adisa mixed a handful of compost into the soil before planting the basil seeds.
Xiu's homemade compost smelled earthy and looked dark brown and crumbly.
Using compost instead of chemical fertilizers keeps the garden soil healthy for years.
- fertilizer
broader term — compost is a specific type of organic fertilizer; fertilizer can also be chemical
- humus
technically the fully decomposed layer of soil, but often used interchangeably with compost in informal gardening talk
用法筆記
Usually uncountable. In gardening contexts, it can be made countable when referring to different types or batches ('a good compost', 'several composts').
常見錯誤
compost — verb
1. to collect kitchen scraps and garden waste so that they break down naturally ove
to collect kitchen scraps and garden waste so that they break down naturally over time into a soil-like material that can be used to feed garden plants.
Lara composts all her vegetable peelings and eggshells in a bin behind the kitchen.
compost + noun phrase (kitchen waste)
Vikram learned how to compost grass clippings and dry leaves in equal amounts.
The school cafeteria composts leftover fruit and vegetable waste from lunch.
Brian started composting after noticing how much food his family threw away each week.
Inês composts regularly and uses the finished material to feed her flower beds.
- recycle
broader meaning — composting is a specific form of recycling organic waste
文法句型
compost + noun phrase (kitchen scraps, garden waste)
compost (no object)
用法筆記
Frequently used in the continuous form ('I am composting') to describe an ongoing activity. The object is typically organic waste — kitchen scraps, garden trimmings, or leaves.