soil

¹ American  

[soil] / sɔɪl /

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.

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soil ² American  

[soil] / sɔɪl /

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

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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 American  

[soil] / sɔɪl /

verb (used with object)

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

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soil ¹ British  

/ 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

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soil ² British  

/ sɔɪl /

verb

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

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soil ³ British  

/ 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

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noun

1. the state or result of soiling

2. refuse, manure, or excrement

soil Scientific  

/ 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

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soil Cultural  

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

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Discover More

Soil is produced by the weathering of rocks.

Other Word Forms

• soilless adjective

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

They are now routinely detected in water, soil, wildlife, and human tissue.

From Science Daily

New religious faiths sprung from the state’s rich soil: Shakers, Mormons, and Adventists, among others.

From Literature

To do so, he’ll have to iron out disagreements over Canada’s Sikh population, which India accuses of stoking separatist sentiment on its soil.

From The Wall Street Journal

Corn planted in average soil with a typical corn-soybean crop rotation is projected to lose nearly $150 an acre, while soybeans planted in a normal rotation are seen losing almost $90 an acre.

From The Wall Street Journal

In recent weeks, Tehran has been working to better protect its main nuclear sites from another round of U.S. bombing, pouring soil and concrete over the sites’ entrances to harden their defenses.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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