HUMUS
What does "HUMUS" mean?
The dark, rich organic matter in soil formed by the decay of plant and animal material.
Meanings
- The decomposed organic component of soil, dark in colour and rich in nutrients. Years of fallen leaves had built a deep layer of humus on the forest floor.
Did you know?
- Soil humus and the chickpea dip hummus are etymological strangers: the dark earth-matter comes from Latin 'humus' (ground), while the food comes from Arabic 'hummus' (chickpea).
Word origin
Directly from Latin 'humus' (earth, ground, soil), the same root behind 'human' and 'humble' - all tracing back to the idea of the low, dark ground.
Remember it
HUMUS shares its root with HUMan and HUMble - all come from Latin for 'the ground' we walk on and grow in.
A little poem
Last summer's bright leaves
have forgotten they were leaves -
now they feed the oak.
haiku
Wordplay
- I planted my garden in pure humus and named the bed 'Humble.' Same Latin root - both just mean down to earth.
What it teaches
What looks like decay is often groundwork: the richest soil is built entirely from things that fell.
Quick facts
What does HUMUS mean?
The dark, rich organic matter in soil formed by the decay of plant and animal material.
Is HUMUS a valid word?
Yes — HUMUS is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is HUMUS?
HUMUS has 5 letters and 2 syllables.
Where does HUMUS come from?
Directly from Latin 'humus' (earth, ground, soil), the same root behind 'human' and 'humble' - all tracing back to the idea of the low, dark ground.
What can HUMUS teach us?
What looks like decay is often groundwork: the richest soil is built entirely from things that fell.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.