ENGLISH
REFERENCE

landfill

n. C / U
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɫændˌfɪɫ// UK //lˈændfɪl// land·fill

n. a large area of land where a city's trash is buried under layers of dirt. It is the most common way to get rid of household waste.

n. a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial. Often used to refer to the accumulated waste itself or the method of waste management.


SIMPLE

Most of our household trash ends up in a landfill.

CONTEXTUAL

The city is running out of space, so they are looking for a new location for a landfill.

COMPLEX

Environmental engineers must carefully monitor the landfill to prevent toxic chemicals from leaking into the local groundwater supply.

Origin

From land + fill. Compare spillway.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the method of disposal; countable when referring to a specific site.

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