Landfill

Landfill

Noun · /ˈlænd.fɪl/

Definition

A site where solid waste is deposited and buried under layers of earth; the method of disposing of waste by burial in land; the waste materials themselves deposited at such a site.

Origin

From land + fill. The compound describes the practice of filling land — specifically low-lying or excavated land — with refuse. Landfill as an organised waste management technique developed from the early 20th century as urban waste volumes exceeded the capacity of earlier disposal methods. The term became standard from the mid-20th century.