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landfill

/ˌlæn(d)ˈfɪl/
/ˈlændfɪl/
IPA guide

Other forms: landfills

A landfill is a pit that is covered with dirt after being filled with waste of some kind. Some landfills are filled in with rocks for the specific purpose of raising the earth and building something on it.

Garbage dumps are often called landfills, even when they're not literal pits that are filled and covered, and while "hole full of trash" might be your first thought when you hear the word, landfills are often simply a way of solidifying the ground for building. Many port cities, including Boston and Portland, Maine, have entire neighborhoods, once just areas covered in water, that were built on landfills.

Definitions of landfill
  1. noun
    a low area that has been filled in
    see moresee less
    types:
    sanitary landfill
    a low area where waste is buried between layers of earth
    type of:
    lowland
    low level country
Pronunciation
US
/ˌlæn(d)ˈfɪl/
UK
/ˈlændfɪl/
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