green manure

noun

: an herbaceous crop (such as clover) plowed under while green to enrich the soil

green-manure transitive verb

Examples of green manure in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Red clover can make a drought- and shade-tolerant lawn alternative, but it is more often grown as an annual winter cover crop and then tilled into the soil as green manure. —Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 11 Aug. 2025

Plants like forage radish, buckwheat, and alfalfa can also serve as cover crops or green manures to improve soil structure and replenish nutrients in gardens after the growing season has ended. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 June 2025

Traditional green manure crops include alfalfa, oats, and even winter wheat. —Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 19 Apr. 2024

Lay plants on top of soil to break down as green manure for improved soil fertility. —Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 6 Feb. 2024

Plant this year’s tomato bed with a green manure or cover crop. —oregonlive, 21 Aug. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for green manure

• annexure
• embouchure
• epicure
• immature
• paramour
• premature
• reassure
• reinsure
• sinecure
• abjure
• adjure
• allure

Kids Definition

green manure

noun

: a crop of plants (as clover) that is plowed under while green to enrich the soil