humus

/ˈhjuːməs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhjuːməs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhyü-məs ˈyü-/ (ame, mw)

humus — noun

1. the soft, dark brown layer of garden or forest soil produced when fallen leaves,

1.名詞C1
釋義

the soft, dark brown layer of garden or forest soil produced when fallen leaves, roots, and other plant parts slowly rot, and which holds water and feeds growing plants.

例句

Hina mixed a handful of humus into the soil around her tomato plants.

collocation: mix humus into the soil

The forest floor was covered with thick, spongy humus that smelled of damp wood.

descriptive collocation: thick, spongy humus

同義詞
  • compost

    compost is humus that gardeners have intentionally produced from kitchen and yard waste

  • leaf mould

    British term for humus made specifically from rotted leaves

  • topsoil

    broader: the upper soil layer that contains humus, not the dark organic matter itself

用法筆記

Uncountable; never used in the plural. Typical modifiers describe texture or quality (rich, dark, spongy, decayed). Do not confuse with 'hummus' (the chickpea dip) — different word, different pronunciation.

常見錯誤

❌I bought two humuses for the garden.
✅I bought two bags of humus for the garden.
💡humus is uncountable; use a measure word like 'bag' or 'handful'.
❌She spread hummus on the flower bed.
✅She spread humus on the flower bed.
💡'hummus' is the chickpea food; 'humus' is the soil material.