I. ˈkämˌpōst, Brit usually -päst noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English, stew, compote, from Middle French composte compote, compost compost; Middle French composte from Latin composita, feminine of compositus; Middle French compost from Latin compositus
1.
a. : a mixture consisting usually largely of decayed organic matter and used for fertilizing and conditioning land ; especially : such a mixture produced by decomposition in a compost pile
b. : a complex potting soil that is usually rich in organic matter
2. : mixture , composition , compound
that strange compost of contradictions, the Scottish character — John Buchan
sheer melodrama, a compost of sex and crime — Milton Rugoff
a compost of newspaper sensations and prejudice — T.S.Eliot
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English composten, from Middle French composter, from compost, n.
1. : to treat (as land) with compost : manure
2. : to cause (as plant debris) to be converted into compost usually by mixing with suitable adjuncts and piling in a way that encourages decay and decomposition