English Reference
noun · verb

manure

n. · v.
US /məˈnʊɹ/ UK /mənjˈɔː/ ma·nure UK spelling manured, manures

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    n.waste from animals, such as cows or horses, that farmers put on soil to help crops grow.

    n.animal excrement, typically from livestock, utilized as an organic fertilizer to improve soil fertility.

    Simple

    The farmer spread manure over the fields to prepare for the spring planting.

    In context

    Organic farmers often prefer well-rotted horse manure over synthetic fertilizers to maintain the long-term health of the topsoil.

  2. 02 C1 Advanced HumorousInformal

    n.a polite way to say that something someone said is complete nonsense or lies.

    n.a euphemistic substitute for 'bullshit', used to describe nonsense, rubbish, or deceptive talk.

    Simple

    Don't listen to him; everything he says about his rich uncle is pure manure.

    In context

    The politician's explanation for the missing funds was dismissed by the press as absolute manure.

  3. 03 C1 Advanced Technical

    v.to put animal waste on land to make the soil better for plants.

    v.to apply manure to land for the purpose of fertilization.

    Simple

    It is best to manure the garden in late autumn before the first frost.

    In context

    The agronomist recommended that the estate manager manure the north pasture to improve the nitrogen levels before the next rotation.

    fertilizeenrich
    deplete

From Middle English maynouren, manuren (“to supervise, toil”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman meinourer and Old French manovrer (whence also English maneuver, or in French manœuvrer) from Vulgar Latin *manuoperare (“work by hand”), from Latin manū (“by hand”) + operārī (“to work”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin manus
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated