peat

1 of 2

noun (1)

often attributive
1
2
: partially carbonized vegetable tissue formed by partial decomposition in water of various plants (such as mosses of the genus Sphagnum)
peaty adjective

peat

2 of 2

noun (2)

: a bold lively woman

Examples of peat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The team is also launching a program called Atlas of Smoke, which will use algorithmic imagery to decipher how the peat levels in the whisky respond to aging. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2024 Police were first called to County Londonderry’s Bellaghy Bog in October, when a civilian noticed human bones sticking out of the peat. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Feb. 2024 The oldest distillery on Islay, dating back to 1779, Bowmore uses peat to malt its barley. Tony Sachs, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 The peat is fed by a decaying layer of sphagnum moss, sundew, and butterwort, which deepens a millimeter a year. Aaron Hicklin, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2024 The man’s remains were uncovered in a peat bog in Vittrup, Denmark, during peat cutting in 1915. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 15 Feb. 2024 This 1,293-square-mile reserve, with its meadows, peat bogs, moors, rivers and forests that are home to butterflies, otters and birds, looks like a location out of a fairy tale. Catherine Garcia, theweek, 25 Jan. 2024 The Glen Affric tartan was discovered in a peat bog in the Scottish Highlands in the 1980s. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Jan. 2024 The amount of carbon locked in the peat, which reaches down 32 feet in places, is about 400 million tons — more than double the amount stored in Britain’s woodlands. Aaron Hicklin, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'peat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English pete piece of peat, from Medieval Latin peta, probably of Celtic origin; akin to Cornish peyth bit, Welsh peth thing

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1566, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of peat was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near peat

Cite this Entry

“Peat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peat. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

peat

noun
ˈpēt
: a dark brown or blackish material that is the remains of plants partly decayed in water and is sometimes dug up and dried for use as fuel

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