soilure

American  

[soil-yer] / ˈsɔɪl yər /

noun

1. a stain.

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soilure British  

/ ˈsɔɪljə /

noun

1. the act of soiling or the state of being soiled

2. a stain or blot

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Etymology

Origin of soilure

1250–1300; Middle English soylure < Old French soilleure, equivalent to soill ( ier ) ( see soil ²) + -eure (< Latin -ātūra; see -ate ¹, -ure)

Example Sentences

You could see that he prided himself on the spotlessness of his linen; his cuffs were turned up to avoid alcoholic soilure; their vast links hung loose for better observance by customers.

From Demos by Gissing, George

A man's life, like a great river, may be limpid-pure in the beginning, and when near its source; as it grows and gains strength it is inevitably sullied and stained with earth's soilure.

From The Man Shakespeare by Harris, Frank

The vision of the one eternal, passionless Spirit, far removed from the world of chance and change and earthly soilure, was the conquest of Greek philosophy, travailing for 800 years.

From Roman Society from Nero to Marcus Aurelius by Dill, Samuel

Rather, it may be, over-much He shunned the common stain and smutch, From soilure of ignoble touch     Too grandly free, Too loftily secure in such     Cold purity.

From The Poems of William Watson by Watson, William

With exasperating deliberation he fetched out a bulky pocket-book, and extracted therefrom a packet, which proved to be a thick cream envelope, carefully protected from soilure by an outer wrapping of paper.

From The Red Symbol by Ironside, John