fuller's earth

noun

: an earthy substance that consists chiefly of clay mineral but lacks plasticity and that is used as an adsorbent, a filter medium, and a carrier for catalysts

Examples of fuller's earth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Pointing to a section of the north wall overlooking the river, Sharma said that workers had recently applied the clay mixture known as fuller's earth, traditionally used as a bleaching agent to absorb oil and grease from sheep's wool. Shashank Bengali, latimes.com, 22 May 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fuller's earth.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

fuller entry 1; from its earlier use as fulling agent

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fuller's earth was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near fuller's earth

Cite this Entry

“Fuller's earth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fuller%27s%20earth. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fuller's earth

noun
full·​er's earth
ˈfu̇l-ərz-
: an earthy substance used for filtering and as an absorbent

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