humus
/ˈhjuːməs/ noun
Also a form of hummus
Forms humuses
- noun A large group of natural organic compounds, found in the soil, formed from the chemical and biological decomposition of plant and animal residues and from the synthetic activity of microorganisms.
Synonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin humus.
Borrowed from Turkish humus or Arabic حُمُّص (ḥummuṣ).
Webster’s 1913
- noun That portion of the soil formed by the decomposition of animal or vegetable matter. It is a valuable constituent of soils. Graham.
Etymology [L., the earth, ground, soil.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “humus”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details