Meaning & use
subsoil
The layer of soil lying just beneath the surface topsoil, usually less fertile and containing more clay or minerals.
See it in a sentence
The gardener dug past the dark topsoil into the pale, compacted subsoil below.
Builders test the subsoil before laying foundations to check how well it drains.
A note on using this word
Subsoil is a technical, everyday term in gardening, agriculture, and construction rather than a literary word.
Words with a similar meaning
substratum
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
topsoil
Make it your own
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