Definition of manure

< manumit

manus >

ma·nure    (m-nr, -nyr) KEY 

NOUN:

Material, especially barnyard or stable dung, often with discarded animal bedding, used to fertilize soil.

TRANSITIVE VERB:
ma·nured, ma·nur·ing, ma·nures

To fertilize (soil) by applying material such as barnyard dung.

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ETYMOLOGY:
From Middle English manuren, to cultivate land, from Anglo-Norman mainouverer, from Vulgar Latin *manoperre, to work with the hands : Latin man, ablative of manus, hand; see man-² in Indo-European roots + Latin operr, to work; see op- in Indo-European roots

OTHER FORMS:
ma·nurer(Noun), ma·nuri·al(Adjective)