Meaning & use
a compost pile
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Meanings
phrasecountable
A heap of garden waste and food scraps that is left to rot down into dark, rich soil.
Grammar: Countable phrase: use a/an or a plural, as in "a compost pile" or "three compost piles".
Patterns
- build a compost pile
- turn a compost pile
- add something to a compost pile
We keep a compost pile behind the shed for grass cuttings and vegetable peelings.
Turn the compost pile every few weeks so the middle gets some air.
Last winter the compost pile froze solid, so nothing rotted until spring.
phrasecountablefigurative
A pile of dead leaves or plant material that builds up naturally on the ground.
Grammar: Also countable; here it describes something that formed on its own rather than one you made.
Patterns
- a compost pile of leaves
Under the oak tree there was a damp compost pile of old leaves.
The forest floor is covered with a natural compost pile that feeds the trees.
Word forms
| plural | compost piles |
|---|
Common combinations
- turn a compost pile
- Turn the compost pile with a fork to speed up rotting.
- start a compost pile
- We started a compost pile in the corner of the yard.
- add something to a compost pile
- Don't add meat or dairy to a compost pile.
- a compost pile of leaves
- A compost pile of wet leaves sat by the fence.
- a healthy compost pile
- A healthy compost pile feels warm in the middle.
Synonyms and how they differ
- compost heap
- The usual British term for the same thing; in American English "compost pile" is more common.
- compost bin
- Use this when the material sits inside a container rather than in an open heap.
Word family
- compost noun
- The dark, crumbly material that rotting plant waste produces.
- compost verb
- To add decaying plant waste to soil to improve it.
- composting noun
- The activity or process of letting waste rot down.
Commonly confused: a compost pile or compote?
a compost pile vs compote
A compote is a dessert of fruit cooked in syrup; it sounds similar but has nothing to do with gardens.
Practice
Which sentence uses "a compost pile" correctly?
Choose one answer.
A compost pile is garden waste left to rot, so leaves and coffee grounds fit. The other options use the phrase with things that have nothing to do with rotting plant material.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a compost pile”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.