landfill
Americannoun
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a low area of land that is built up from deposits of solid refuse in layers covered by soil.
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the solid refuse itself.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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to make (an area of land) by means of a landfill.
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to use in a landfill.
to landfill millions of tons of garbage each year.
noun
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A disposal site where solid waste, such as paper, glass, and metal, is buried between layers of dirt and other materials in such a way as to reduce contamination of the surrounding land. Modern landfills are often lined with layers of absorbent material and sheets of plastic to keep pollutants from leaking into the soil and water.
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Also called sanitary landfill
Etymology
Origin of landfill
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The food for the larder is donated by the charity FareShare, which redistributes surplus food and diverts it away from landfill.
From BBC
Diverting those tonnages from landfill or incineration can "improve our recycling rate as a nation quite significantly", he explained.
From BBC
The Seattle-based waste service is geared toward people who worry their waste will end up in the landfill, or get exported to a developing country in Asia.
From Los Angeles Times
The Marine Conservation Society said historic litter often washes up at this time of year due to the seasonal storms - and that eroding coastal landfill sites are releasing a lot of "retro" rubbish too.
From BBC
Garbage-choked streets, overloaded landfills and the fear of trash avalanches haunt greater Jakarta, as the world's most populous metropolis grapples with a waste crisis.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.