tilth

Meanings

1. 1noununcountabletechnicalspecialist

   The condition of soil that has been prepared for growing crops, especially its texture and looseness.

   Grammar: Uncountable; used with 'good', 'fine', or 'poor' to describe soil quality.

   Patterns

   • good tilth
   • the tilth of the soil
   • improve tilth

   The farmer checked the tilth before planting the seeds.

   Adding compost improves the tilth of heavy clay soil.

   Fine tilth is needed for small seeds to sprout well.

2. 2noununcountabletechnicalspecialistrare

   The act or process of preparing land for crops by plowing or digging.

   Grammar: Uncountable; less common than the soil-condition sense.

   Patterns

   • bring land into tilth
   • the tilth of the field

   The land was brought into tilth after weeks of plowing.

   They worked the tilth of the field with traditional tools.

   Proper tilth requires both time and the right equipment.

Common combinations

good tilth

The garden soil was in good tilth after the spring rains.

fine tilth

Carrots need a fine tilth to grow straight.

improve tilth

Mixing in organic matter can improve tilth.

bring land into tilth

It took several seasons to bring the land into tilth.

Synonyms and how they differ

soil condition

A general phrase for how soil is; 'tilth' is the specialist term for its readiness for planting.

cultivation

The act of preparing land; 'tilth' often refers to the resulting state of the soil.

Word family

till verb

To prepare land for crops by plowing or digging.

tillage noun

The practice or process of preparing land for crops.

Commonly confused: tilth or tilt? tilth or tithe?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “tilth”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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