ensile
/in'sail/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To store and preserve (green fodder) in a silo: The primary meaning refers to the agricultural practice of placing fresh forage crops into a silo or other airtight structure to undergo controlled fermentation, which preserves the feed for later use as animal fodder.
Usage
- The verb "ensile" is a transitive verb, meaning it requires a direct object (the material being stored).
- It is a technical term used primarily in agriculture and animal husbandry.
- The process of ensiling is called "ensilage."
Examples
- Verb:
- The farmers will ensile the freshly cut corn to feed their cattle during the winter.
- Properly ensiled grass retains more nutrients than dried hay.
Advanced Usage
- "to be ensiled": The passive voice is commonly used to describe the state of the fodder.
- The alfalfa was ensiled at the perfect moisture level.
Variants and Related Words
- Ensilage (n): The process of ensiling; also the product (the preserved fodder) itself.
- The quality of the ensilage depends on the sugar content of the crop.
- Silo (n): The tall, airtight structure used for ensiling fodder.
Synonyms
- Silage (as a verb, though rare): More commonly used as a noun for the ensiled product. "To silage" is a less frequent synonym for "to ensile."
- Store (in a silo): A more general descriptive phrase.
Word Family
- This word is derived from the French , which comes from (silo).
Verb
- store in a silo
- ensile fodder for the cows