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loamy

loamy

1 6.0
Soil made of sand, fine dirt, and clay that holds water but drains well
  • adjective
  • /ˈloʊmi/
translation icon : arcilloso
  • The gardener was pleased to discover that the loamy soil was perfect for growing vegetables.

Examples

  • Barely a stone to dig, and no edge of rock to scrape or cut into flesh: only rich, loamy earth to weed and till.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The predominant soils are alluvial tills, including loamy coarse sands with some gravel (Hanes, 1974).

    Academic text (2008)
  • Finding purchase on the steep, loamy slope was difficult.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • With luck, we'll return home with several large garbage bags full to empty them out later on the soft, loamy soil.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Soils are very deep, well-drained, and loamy.

    Academic text (2016)
  • A triangular outwork forming a perimeter a hundred yards across at the base was already laid out in the dark loamy soil.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • In contrast, the natural loamy soil at site 2 comprises approximately 20% clay, quartz, and smectite with high organic content (38% weight organic carbon).

    Academic text (2017)
  • Farmers prefer loamy soil because it retains moisture and provides nutrients for crops.

  • After testing the garden's soil, she found it was rich and loamy, ideal for planting flowers.

Antonyms

9.9

Soil that has no loam and is usually sandy or stony

How Loamy

loamy
1 6.0
silty
1 4.9
sandy
34 1.0

Surface Forms

loamy positive

Morphology

loamy = loam (transparent) = loam + y

Productive adjective formation from the noun 'loam' with the suffix '-y', meaning 'having the characteristics of loam', which is directly deducible by learners.

Etymology

Loamy comes from the old English word loam, which means 'rich, soft soil' and is related to the German word Lehm for 'clay'. So, soil called loamy has the same good qualities as that rich soil: it holds water but also drains well, which helps plants grow.