Compost

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈkɒmpɒst/

Definitions

1. Decayed organic material used to enrich soil and improve plant growth ; the biological process where organic waste breaks down into nutrient-rich substance
2. Organic matter that has undergone decomposition to serve as a garden amendment ; the natural breakdown of plant and food waste into humus
3. A mixture of decomposed organic substances applied to soil for fertility ; the method by which biodegradable materials are transformed into nutrient-rich compost

Etymology: The word "compost" began as a Latin participle meaning "composed," the past participle of "componere," to put together. Its path into English ran through Old Northern French, where "compost" named a mixture of leaves, manure and other materials spread on land to fertilize it. The same mixing sense also produced a condiment, so the word once covered both the farm field and the kitchen. Middle English borrowed the word in that agricultural sense, and the notion of a deliberately blended heap of decaying matter has stayed central to it ever since. The verb followed the noun, so to compost is to turn ordinary waste into the material that feeds new growth. Compost is a doublet of "compote," a word that came into English from modern French with a sweet, stewed-fruit meaning. Both descend from the same Latin root, yet one ended up in the garden and the other on the dessert plate.

Synonyms: fertilizer, mixture