I. ˈməlch noun
( -es )
Etymology: perhaps irregular from melch
1. : rotting straw strewn over the ground and often mixed with mud or manure
maids walking in pattens … to keep their shoes above the mulch — Thomas Hardy
2. : a protective covering (as of sawdust, moss, compost, gravel, or paper) spread or left upon the ground to reduce evaporation, maintain even soil temperature, prevent erosion, control weeds, or enrich the soil : litter , topdressing — compare : stubble mulch
3. : dust mulch
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
1. : to cover or dress with mulch
mulch an orchard
2. : to make a layer of dry mulch on
plow under green manure and mulch the ground afterward — Farmer's Irrigation Guide