Word Study
compost
CIDE DICTIONARY
compost, n. [OF. compost, fr. L. compositus, p. p. See Composite.].
- A mixture; a compound. [1913 Webster]"A sad compost of more bitter than sweet." [1913 Webster]
- A mixture for fertilizing land; esp., a composition of various substances (as muck, mold, lime, and stable manure) thoroughly mingled and decomposed, as in a compost heap. [1913 Webster]"And do not spread the compost on the weeds
To make them ranker." [1913 Webster]
compost, v. t.
- To manure with compost. [1913 Webster]
- To mingle, as different fertilizing substances, in a mass where they will decompose and form into a compost. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
compost, n. & v.
--n.
1 a mixed manure, esp. of organic origin. b a loam soil or other medium with added compost, used for growing plants.
2 a mixture of ingredients (a rich compost of lies and innuendo).
--v.tr.
1 treat (soil) with compost.
2 make (manure, vegetable matter, etc.) into compost.
--n.
1 a mixed manure, esp. of organic origin. b a loam soil or other medium with added compost, used for growing plants.
2 a mixture of ingredients (a rich compost of lies and innuendo).
--v.tr.
1 treat (soil) with compost.
2 make (manure, vegetable matter, etc.) into compost.
Idiom
compost heap (or pile) a layered structure of garden refuse, soil, etc., which decays to become compost.
Etymology
ME f. OF composte f. L compos(i)tum (as COMPOSITE)
THESAURUS
compost
admixture, ammonia, castor-bean meal, commercial fertilizer, commixture, composite, compound, dressing, dung, enrichener, fertilizer, fusion, guano, immixture, interfusion, intermixture, manure, mix, muck, night soil, nitrate, nitrogen, organic fertilizer, phosphate, superphosphateROGET THESAURUS
compost
Uncleanness
N uncleanness, impurity, immundity, immundicity, impurity, defilement, contamination, defoedation, soilure, soiliness, abomination, leaven, taint, tainture, fetor, decay, putrescence, putrefaction, corruption, mold, must, mildew, dry rot, mucor, rubigo, slovenry, slovenliness, squalor, dowdy, drab, slut, malkin, slattern, sloven, slammerkin, slammock, slummock, scrub, draggle-tail, mudlark, dust-man, sweep, beast, dirt, filth, soil, slop, dust, cobweb, flue, smoke, soot, smudge, smut, grit, grime, raff, sossle, sozzle, sordes, dregs, grounds, lees, argol, sediment, settlement heeltap, dross, drossiness, mother, precipitate, scoriae, ashes, cinders, recrement, slag, scum, froth, hogwash, ditchwater, dishwater, bilgewater, rinsings, cheeseparings, sweepings, offscourings, outscourings, off scum, caput mortuum, residuum, sprue, fecula, clinker, draff, scurf, scurfiness, exuviae, morphea, fur, furfur, dandruff, tartar, riffraff, vermin, louse, flea, bug, chinch, mud, mire, quagmire, alluvium, silt, sludge, slime, slush, slosh, sposh, spawn, offal, gurry, lientery, garbage, carrion, excreta, slough, peccant humor, pus, matter, suppuration, lienteria, faeces, feces, excrement, ordure, dung, crap, shit, sewage, sewerage, muck, coprolite, guano, manure, compost, dunghill, colluvies, mixen, midden, bog, laystall, sink, privy, jakes, toilet, john, head, cess, cesspool, sump, sough, cloaca, latrines, drain, sewer, common sewer, Cloacina, dust hole, sty, pigsty, lair, den, Augean stable, sink of corruption, slum, rookery, dirty, filthy, grimy, unclean, impure, soiled, not to be handled with kid gloves, dusty, snuffy, smutty, sooty, smoky, thick, turbid, dreggy, slimy, mussy, slovenly, untidy, messy, uncleanly, unkempt, sluttish, dowdy, draggle-tailed, uncombed, unscoured, unswept, unwiped, unwashed, unstrained, unpurified, squalid, lutose, slammocky, slummocky, sozzly, nasty, coarse, foul, offensive, abominable, beastly, reeky, reechy, fetid, decayed, moldy, musty, mildewed, rusty, moth-eaten, mucid, rancid, weak, bad, gone bad, etercoral, lentiginous, touched, fusty, effete, reasty, rotten, corrupt, tainted, high, flyblown, maggoty, putrid, putrefactive, putrescent, putrefied, saprogenic, saprogenous, purulent, carious, peccant, fecal, feculent, stercoraceous, excrementitious, scurfy, scurvy, impetiginous, gory, bloody, rotting, rotten as a pear, rotten as cheese, crapulous, gross, fimetarious, fimicolous, they that touch pitch will be defiled.For further exploring for "compost" in Webster Dictionary Online
