Humus is the part of soil which consists of dead plants that have begun to decay.
humus in British English
(ˈhjuːməs)
noun
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
▶ USAGE Avoid confusion with hummus
Word origin
C18: from Latin: soil, earth
humus in American English1
(ˈhjuməs; ˈjuməs)
noun
a brown or black substance resulting from the partial decay of plant and animal matter; organic part of the soil
Word origin
L, earth, ground, soil < IE *ĝhom-: see homo1
humus in American English2
(ˈhʌməs; ˈhʊməs)
noun
alt. sp. of
hummus
Examples of 'humus' in a sentence
humus
They cannot become humus until they have been metabolized by soil organisms.
Thompkins, Peter, Bird, Christopher Secrets of the Soil (1990)
And you must add compost even in a wet year to keep building up that humus.