peatland
noun
peat·land
ˈpēt-ˌland
plural peatlands
: land rich in peat (see peat entry 1 sense 1a)
For hundreds of years, dark brown peat from some of the most unspoiled peatlands in Scotland has provided the people … with their annual supply of fuel for heating and cooking.—Alan Simpson
Peatlands have also come into sharp focus over the past 20 years because they are the largest and most concentrated global store of carbon of all terrestrial ecosystems, containing twice the carbon of the forest biomass.—Anja Murray
Estates in the Highlands are often not fertile enough for profitable farming and the properties are large, making it easier to do tree-planting or peatland restoration that sequesters carbon at scale.—The Economist
Cite this Entry
“Peatland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peatland. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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