soil Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the state of being covered with unclean things
    grease; filth; dirt; grime; grunge; stain.
  2. noun the part of the earth's surface consisting of humus and disintegrated rock
    dirt.
  3. noun material in the top layer of the surface of the earth in which plants can grow (especially with reference to its quality or use)
    land; ground.
    • the land had never been plowed
    • good agricultural soil
  4. noun the geographical area under the jurisdiction of a sovereign state
    territory.
    • American troops were stationed on Japanese soil
  5. verb make soiled, filthy, or dirty
    begrime; grime; bemire; dirty; colly.
    • don't soil your clothes when you play outside!

WordNet


Soil transitive verb
Etymology
OF. saoler, saouler, to satiate, F. soûler, L. satullare, fr. satullus, dim. of satur sated. See Satire.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Soiled ; present participle & verbal noun Soiling
Definitions
  1. To feed, as cattle or horses, in the barn or an inclosure, with fresh grass or green food cut for them, instead of sending them out to pasture; hence (such food having the effect of purging them), to purge by feeding on green food; as, to soil a horse.
Soil noun
Etymology
OE. soile, F. sol, fr. L. solum bottom, soil; but the word has probably been influenced in form by soil a miry place. Cf. Saloon, Soil a miry place, Sole of the foot.
Definitions
  1. The upper stratum of the earth; the mold, or that compound substance which furnishes nutriment to plants, or which is particularly adapted to support and nourish them.
  2. Land; country.
    Must I thus leave thee, Paradise? thus leave Thee, native soil? Milton.
  3. Dung; fæces; compost; manure; as, night soil.
    Improve land by dung and other sort of soils. Mortimer.
Soil transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To enrich with soil or muck; to manure.
    Men . . . soil their ground, not that they love the dirt, but that they expect a crop. South.
Soil noun
Etymology
OF. soil, souil, F. souille, from OF. soillier, F. souiller. See Soil to make dirty.
Definitions
  1. A marshy or miry place to which a hunted boar resorts for refuge; hence, a wet place, stream, or tract of water, sought for by other game, as deer.
    As deer, being stuck, fly through many soils, Yet still the shaft sticks fast. Marston.
    O, sir, have you taken soil here? It is well a man may reach you after three hours' running. B. Jonson.
Soil transitive verb
Etymology
OE. soilen, OF. soillier, F. souiller, (assumed) LL. suculare, fr. L. sucula a little pig, dim. of sus a swine. See Sow, n.
Definitions
  1. To make dirty or unclean on the surface; to foul; to dirty; to defile; as, to soil a garment with dust.
    Our wonted ornaments now soiled and stained. Milton.
  2. To stain or mar, as with infamy or disgrace; to tarnish; to sully. Shak. Syn. -- To foul; dirt; dirty; begrime; bemire; bespatter; besmear; daub; bedaub; stain; tarnish; sully; defile; pollute.
Soil intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To become soiled; as, light colors soil sooner than dark ones.
Soil noun
Etymology
See Soil to make dirty, Soil a miry place.
Definitions
  1. That which soils or pollutes; a soiled place; spot; stain.
    A lady's honor . . . will not bear a soil. Dryden.

Webster 1913