plural peats
1
a
: a dark brown fibrous material that is formed primarily by the partial decomposition of organic matter and especially plants (such as sphagnum moss) in wet, oxygen-deficient areas (such as bogs or swamps) and that is harvested especially for use as a fuel for heating or cooking or as a soil amendment
Some boreal forests contain peat, which can slow fire—if it's wet. But if that peat is dry, it can burn underground and spread fires even farther.—
Caroline Mimbs Nyce
Caroline Mimbs NyceBehind the … houses was the bog: an immense, bronze-hued ocean of deep peat, stretching into the horizon.—Tomas Weber
—sometimes used before another nounTomas WeberNow, the continuing problems of sea rise, water pollution, salt-water intrusion and the erosion of peat soil that make up much of the marshland threaten to compound the historic damage from development.—The Miami Herald
The Miami HeraldAs a peat bog, it helps to play a vital role in tackling climate change by locking away carbon as well as helping to regulate flood flows for the local community.—Jo Barnes
Jo Barnes
b
: peat moss
Dig a hole as deep as the plant's rootball and five times as wide. Amend the backfill soil with 50 percent peat …—Jim McCausland
Jim McCausland2
Scotland
: a section or piece of dried peat for use as fuel : turf sense 4b
While not uncommon these days for peats to be cut by machine there are still many who cut in the traditional way, and lines of peat banks both abandoned and still in use can be seen in landscapes wherever peat is cut.—Christine Smith
Christine Smith
peaty
adjective
Peaty soils contain about 20-25% of organic matter whereas there is about 50-90% in true peats.
—J. A. R. Lockhart and A. J. L. Wiseman
J. A. R. Lockhart and A. J. L. Wiseman
: a bold lively woman
Examples of peat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Andy Vasoyan, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
In Scotland, for example, Islay peat is thought to imbue whisky with a different flavor than peat sourced from the Highlands.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 2 Mar. 2025
Some recovery efforts are being made, and it has been suggested that the whisky industry can offset their peat degradation by investing in peat restoration.
—Toby Ann Halamka, JSTOR Daily, 6 Feb. 2025
The finish is long, sweet, and smoky, with lingering stone fruit notes and peat smoke.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for peat
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Noun
Follow Andy for continued coverage of the newest fads in the ultra-premium whiskey market, how tariffs would affect prices for bottle importers and why Scotland could soon be running out of peat.
—Andy Vasoyan, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
In Scotland, for example, Islay peat is thought to imbue whisky with a different flavor than peat sourced from the Highlands.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 2 Mar. 2025
Some recovery efforts are being made, and it has been suggested that the whisky industry can offset their peat degradation by investing in peat restoration.
—Toby Ann Halamka, JSTOR Daily, 6 Feb. 2025
The finish is long, sweet, and smoky, with lingering stone fruit notes and peat smoke.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for peat
Cite this Entry
“Peat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peat. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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