Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The layer or bed of earth beneath the topsoil.
- transitive verb To plow or turn up the subsoil of.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The under-soil: the bed or stratum of earth or earthy matter which lies immediately under the surface soil, and which is less finely disintegrated and contains less organic matter than that.
- In agriculture, to employ the subsoil-plow upon; plow up so as to cut into the subsoil.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun The bed, or stratum, of earth which lies immediately beneath the surface soil.
- noun a plow having a share and standard but no moldboard. It follows in the furrow made by an ordinary plow, and loosens the soil to an additional depth without bringing it to the surface.
- transitive verb To turn up the subsoil of.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun The layer of
earth that is below thetopsoil .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun the layer of soil between the topsoil and bedrock
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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As we continued working in Block 6, the Hospital Block, we excavated down to the subsoil, which is much lighter colored soil than that of the plow zone, which is soil that has been [...]
Interactive Dig Johnson's Island – Unlocking a Civil War Prison 2008
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As we continued working in Block 6, the Hospital Block, we excavated down to the subsoil, which is much lighter colored soil than that of the plow zone, which is soil that has been historically disturbed.
2008 Field Report 2 « Interactive Dig Johnson's Island – Unlocking a Civil War Prison 2008
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The B horizon, commonly referred to as subsoil, accumulates material washed out of the A horizon, such as clay, salts, and iron.
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There is a method which you might find useful on a small scale to which I will now draw your attention, as it is applicable to detached houses or small barracks -- viz., the plan of applying the domestic water to land through underground drains, or what is called subsoil irrigation.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 421, January 26, 1884 Various
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The surface soil is friable and easily worked, and the subsoil, which is usually of a rich red colour, is easily penetrated by the roots of trees and plants grown thereon.
Fruits of Queensland Albert H. Benson
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The subsoil, which is even more important, is still lighter, being mixed with sand and broken stone; on the contrary, in
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 14, No. 394, October 17, 1829 Various
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The portion immediately subjacent is called the subsoil, and it has considerable agricultural importance, and requires a short notice.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry Thomas Anderson
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Before filling in the hole some of the dark coloured top soil, and some of the lighter coloured soil lying below (which is called the subsoil), {3} should be taken for further examination; the two samples should be kept separate and not mixed.
Lessons on Soil E. J. Russell
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The subsoil is a store of inert fertility that should not remain dormant.
Crops and Methods for Soil Improvement Alva Agee 1900
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After the rain, come wind and sun, to dry off the standing water, — to dry out the free water in the surface soil, and to drink up the water of the subsoil, which is slowly drawn from below.
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