Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of or relating to soil, especially as it affects living organisms.
  • adjective Influenced by the soil rather than by the climate.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Influenced or produced by the soil or its contents; arising from the soil: as, edaphic formations (see formation); edaphic influences.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective soil
  • adjective relating to, or determined by, conditions of the soil, especially as it relates to biological systems
  • adjective soil characteristics, such as water content, pH, texture, and nutrient availability, that influence the type and quantity of vegetation in an area

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From Greek edaphos, ground, soil; see sed- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Ancient Greek ἔδαφος (edaphos) +‎ -ic.

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Examples

Comments

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  • Related to or caused by soil conditions, as of texture or drainage, rather than by physiographic or climatic factors.

    November 14, 2007

  • Her fashions can make heavy traffic:

    Once celibate, next she was Sapphic,

    Now thinks she’s Earth Mother

    Or something or other

    That’s sweaty, unwashed and edaphic.

    February 23, 2018