Definition of "compost" []

• A mixture of decaying organic matter, as from leaves and manure, used to improve soil structure and provide nutrients. (noun)
• A composition; a mixture. (noun)
• To fertilize with a mixture of decaying organic matter. (verb-transitive)
• To convert (vegetable matter) to compost. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Then follows the maturation of the compost manure, a stage that is reached during this final process in which particles of decomposed refuse slowly turn into humus, which we refer to as compost manure."
• "Students used old bleachers from Madigan Gym and wood stumps to create the terraced rows, and they fertilized the less-than-ideal soil with compost from the dining halls."
• "Plunge to half their depth in compost or a trench in open ground if you don't have a frame."