Compressed earth, tons removed from ground for fencing (4)

I believe the answer is:

pise

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'compressed earth' is the definition.
'pise' can be an answer for 'earth' (I have seen 'packed earth' mean 'pise' so perhaps 'earth' could also mean 'pise'). I am unsure of the 'compressed' bit.

I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Another definition for pise that I've seen is " packed earth".)

I've seen this clue in The Times and The Sunday Times.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.