A woody layer or mass of peat or other decomposed vegetable matter found below the surface of a marsh, fen, etc.

Usually in plural. A plant whose remains occur fossilized in coal deposits. Cf. coal forest n. at coal, n. compounds 5.

a layer or bed of leaves or leaf debris; (Geology) a stratum of fossilized leaf remains.

(a) U.S. a bed of earth used for germinating seeds and growing young plants, formerly esp. tobacco seedlings; (b) Geology a stratum containing…

(a) a layer of oysters covering either an area of the seabed or an artificial construction built for the purpose of breeding them; a part of the…

a stratum containing stems of trees.

a stratum originating from a primæval forest.

(usually with capital initials) a stratum rich in starfish fossils.

a deposit containing the fossil remains of fishes.

(see quot.).

A fossil deposit of exceptional richness or interest. Also more fully fossil-lagerstatte. Usually in plural.