What is the meaning of the word "a-horizon"?

Definitions:

  1. The topsoil in a soil profile. copy to clipboard NOUN
    • The A-horizon is the most important layer of soil for plant growth. copy to clipboard
  2. The uppermost dark-colored layer of soil consisting largely of partly disintegrated organic debris. copy to clipboard noun
    • The analysis was restricted to the dolomite soil and the "wet" and "A-horizon" cores. copy to clipboard