Dictionary
Find
in
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Translations

Click to move up the list of words
chequer
Chequers
Cherbourg
cherem
Cherenkov effect
cherimoya
cherish
Chernobyl
chernozem
Cherokee
Cherokee rose
Cherokee Strip
cheroot
cherry
cherry birch
cherry bomb
cherry brandy
Click to move down the list of words
Print Preview
See pronunciation key
Search for "chernoze..." in all of MSN Encarta
E-mail this entry
Blog about this entry on MSN Spaces
Download the MSN Encarta Right-Click Dictionary

chernozem

cher·no·zem [ chúrnə zèm ]


noun 
Definition:
 
black topsoil: a fertile black or brown topsoil that is rich in humus and can support crops for long periods of time without the addition of fertilizers. It covers a large proportion of the European and Asian steppe, as well as a belt of land stretching from Saskatchewan in Canada through North Dakota into Texas.

[Mid-19th century. < Russian, "black earth"]

cher·no·zem·ic [ chùrnə zémmik ] adjective
Advertisement

Also on Encarta
Englishtown: Learn English online
Our Partners
Also on MSN
Encarta Message Boards (© Rubberball/Jupiterimages)
Shopping
© 2009 Microsoft