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⇱ humus - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

humus

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈhuːməs/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈhjuməs/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(hyo̅o̅′məs or, often, yo̅o̅′-)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
hu•mus /ˈhyuməs/USA pronunciation   n. [uncountable]
  1. Agriculturethe dark material in soils, produced by the decay of vegetable or animal matter.
See -hum-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
hu•mus  (hyo̅o̅′məs or, often, yo̅o̅′-),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. the dark organic material in soils, produced by the decomposition of vegetable or animal matter and essential to the fertility of the earth.
  • Latin: earth, ground; akin to Greek chamaí on the ground, chthó̄n earth, Sanskrit kṣam-, Lithuanian žémė, Serbo-Croatian zèmlja ground, earth; compare chameleon, chthonian, zemstvo; see Homo
  • 1790–1800

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
humus /ˈhjuːməs/ n
  1. a dark brown or black colloidal mass of partially decomposed organic matter in the soil. It improves the fertility and water retention of the soil and is therefore important for plant growth
Etymology: 18th Century: from Latin: soil, earthUSAGE: See note at hummus
'humus' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
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