different between mulch vs culch

English

Etymology

Probably from Middle English melsche, molsh (“soft”), from Old English melsc, milisc (“mellow; mild; sweet”, literally “honeyed”), probably from Proto-Germanic *mili (“honey”). Compare Icelandic milska (“a honeyed beverage”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /m?lt?/
• Rhymes: -?lt?

Noun

mulch (countable and uncountable, plural mulches)

1. (agriculture, horticulture) Any material used to cover the top layer of soil to protect, insulate, or decorate it, or to discourage weeds or retain moisture.

   An organic mulch is a mulch made of natural substances such as leaves or grass clippings.

2. (countable, agriculture) A material used as mulch, as a decorative redwood bark mulch.

Derived terms

• inorganic mulch
• mulch depth
• organic mulch

Translations

See also

• compost
• humus

Verb

mulch (third-person singular simple present mulches, present participle mulching, simple past and past participle mulched)

1. (agriculture) To apply mulch.

   Mulch your vegetable garden to retain moisture and keep weeds down.

2. (agriculture) To turn into mulch.

   I decided to mulch the grass clippings.

Derived terms

• mulcher
• mulching mower

Translations

English

Alternative forms

• sculch, scultch, kulch, cultch

Noun

culch (uncountable)

1. The rocks, crushed shells, and other sea detritus that create an oyster bed, where oyster spawn can attach themselves; a collection of such detritus, accumulated on land, to drop in the sea to build up oyster beds.
2. (US, New England, Maine) An accumulation of small items of little current value -- materials, broken items, miscellaneous fasteners -- for possible future use.
3. (US, New England, Maine) Junk or debris.

Adjective

culch (not comparable)

1. (US, New England, Maine) Location where potentially useful junk items are collected: culch corner, culch drawer, culch pile.

Verb

culch (third-person singular simple present culches, present participle culching, simple past and past participle culched)

1. To prepare an oyster bed with such (culch) attachments; to sort shellfish or fish catch by size -- most often oysters -- so as to throw back the smallest to grow bigger and breed.