soil

¹

[soil]

noun

1. the portion of the earth's surface consisting of disintegrated rock and humus.

2. a particular kind of earth.

   sandy soil.

3. the ground as producing vegetation or as cultivated for its crops.

   fertile soil.

4. a country, land, or region.

   an act committed on American soil.

5. the ground or earth.

   tilling the soil.

6. any place or condition providing the opportunity for growth or development.

   Some believe that poverty provides the soil for crime.

soil

²

[soil]

verb (used with object)

1. to make unclean, dirty, or filthy, especially on the surface.

   to soil one's clothes.

2. to smirch, smudge, or stain.

   The ink soiled his hands.

3. to sully or tarnish, as with disgrace; defile morally.

   to soil one's good name.

   Synonyms: debase, taint, blacken

verb (used without object)

1. to become soiled.

   White soils easily.

noun

1. the act or fact of soiling.

2. the state of being soiled.

3. a spot, mark, or stain.

4. dirty or foul matter; filth; sewage.

5. ordure; manure

soil

³

[soil]

verb (used with object)

1. to feed (confined cattle, horses, etc.) freshly cut green fodder for roughage.

soil

¹

/ sɔɪl /

noun

1. the top layer of the land surface of the earth that is composed of disintegrated rock particles, humus, water, and air See zonal soil azonal soil intrazonal soil horizon horizon

2. a type of this material having specific characteristics

   loamy soil

3. land, country, or region

   one's native soil

4. life and work on a farm; land

   he belonged to the soil, as his forefathers had

5. any place or thing encouraging growth or development

soil

²

/ sɔɪl /

verb

1. to make or become dirty or stained

2. (tr) to pollute with sin or disgrace; sully; defile

   he soiled the family honour by his cowardice

noun

1. the state or result of soiling

2. refuse, manure, or excrement

soil

³

/ sɔɪl /

verb

1. (tr) to feed (livestock) freshly cut green fodder either to fatten or purge them

soil

1. The loose top layer of the Earth's surface, consisting of rock and mineral particles mixed with decayed organic matter (humus), and capable of retaining water, providing nutrients for plants, and supporting a wide range of biotic communities. Soil is formed by a combination of depositional, chemical, and biological processes and plays an important role in the carbon, nitrogen, and hydrologic cycles. Soil types vary widely from one region to another, depending on the type of bedrock they overlie and the climate in which they form. In wet and humid regions, for example, soils tend to be thicker than they do in dry regions.

2. See more at A horizon B horizon C horizon See illustration at ABC soil

soil

1. Material on the surface of the Earth on which plants can grow. (See topsoil.)

Soil is produced by the weathering of rocks.

Other Word Forms

• soilless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of soil¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English soil, soil(l)e “land, native land, piece of ground, earth, soil,” from Anglo-French soil, soyl, variants of Old French sueil, souil, from Latin solium “high-backed chair, throne, seat,” confused with solum “base, foundation, ground”; sole ² ( def. )

Origin of soil²

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English verb soilen, soil(l)e “to dirty,” from Old French soillier, soullier, suillier, from Vulgar Latin suculāre, (unrecorded) “to wallow like a pig,” derivative verb of suculus or sucula, diminutives of sus “pig, sow”; sow ², -cle ¹

Origin of soil³

First recorded in 1600–10; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of soil¹

C14: from Anglo-Norman, from Latin solium a seat, but confused with Latin solum the ground

Origin of soil²

C13: from Old French soillier to defile, from soil pigsty, probably from Latin sūs a swine

Origin of soil³

C17: perhaps from obsolete vb (C16) soil to manure, from _soil ² (n)

Example Sentences

It is bidding for an Air Force contract that could unleash another $500 million in investment to build a military aircraft in American soil, he said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

India and Canada have agreed a host of steps at talks between their foreign ministers in Delhi aimed at restoring ties that plummeted after a Sikh separatist leader was assassinated on Canadian soil.

Read more on BBC

“I got to use all different parts of my brain,” said Perrone, who started a full-time job that utilizes her Ph.D. in soil science last week.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

As a result, many foreign and American companies have announced astronomical investments -- worth trillions, according to the White House -- in their factories and other sites on American soil.

Read more on Barron's

It added that Nexperia's operations posed a "threat to the continuity and safeguarding on Dutch and European soil of crucial technological knowledge and capabilities."

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• besmirch 
• contaminate 
• debase 
• degrade 
• muddy 
• pollute 
• smear 
• smudge 
• sully 
• taint 
• tar 
• tarnish