compost
com·post/ˈkɑm.poʊst/noun, verb
compost is spelled C-O-M-P-O-S-T: 7 letters and 2 syllables (com·post). It appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,073rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, compost means “The decayed remains of organic matter that has rotted into a natural fertilizer” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of compost is composts.
How many letters and syllables are in compost?
| Letters | 7: C-O-M-P-O-S-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: com·post |
| In writing | 1.6 times per million words; the 22,073rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is compost?
Compost appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,073rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce compost?
- UK /ˈkɒm.pɒst/
- US /ˈkɑm.poʊst/
- /ˈkɔːm.poːsʈ/
Compost has 2 syllables, split com·post in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-compost.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of compost
- composts plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- composting participle, present
- composted participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does compost mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The decayed remains of organic matter that has rotted into a natural fertilizer.
Dig plenty of compost into clay or sandy soil to improve its structure.
- 2
UKA medium in which one can cultivate plants.
Once the seed tray is filled with compost, insert the seeds spaced 3 cm apart from one another.
- 3
obsoleteA mixture; a compound.
verb
- 1
To produce compost, let organic matter decay into fertilizer.
If you compost your grass clippings, you can improve your soil.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Compost in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | compost |
| German | Kompost , kompostieren |
| Portuguese | composto , compostar |
| Spanish | compost , compostar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does compost come from?
From Middle English compost, from Old Northern French compost (“a mixture of leaves, manure, etc., for fertilizing land, also a condiment”), from Latin compositus (“composed”), from componere. Doublet of compote, which was taken from modern French, composite, and kompot.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).