rhizoverbBeta
DictionarypeatPartly decayed plant matter
noun

peat

PEET/piːt/

Partly decayed plant matter used as fuel or to improve soil.

Dark, fibrous peat lies beneath the living moss.

A close view of a wet peat-bog edge exposes dark, fibrous, partly decomposed plant material beneath living moss, with shallow water beside it.
Etymology

The word first referred to a cut piece of turf, rather than the partly decayed plant material itself. Its origin is unknown, though a Celtic connection is probable.

In context

Mining in the UK - Its History & Heritage6:00
peat bogs will subside as a result of sediment being buried on top. That will exclude all oxygen to prevent any further decay.
The Geology of Coal: How It Was Formed and Its Various Types (Ranks).

More examples

  • The bog preserved plant remains in the peat.
  • Workers once cut peat into blocks for fuel.
  • Draining the wetland exposed its peat to the air.

Forms

peat

Similar words

turf
Turf can mean surface soil with grass or a cut piece of peat; peat names the accumulated plant material.
coal
Coal has undergone more extensive geological transformation than peat.