The unconsolidated mineral or organic material on the immediate surface of the earth that serves as a natural medium for the growth of land plants.
The unconsolidated mineral or organic matter on the surface of the earth that has been subjected to and shows effects of genetic and environmental factors of: climate (including water and temperature effects), and macro- and microorganisms, conditioned by relief, acting on parent material over a period of time. A product-soil differs from the material from which it is derived in many physical, chemical, biological, and morphological properties and characteristics.
To stain or mar, as with infamy or disgrace; to tarnish; to sully.
To dirty one's clothing by accidentally defecating while clothed.
To make invalid, to ruin.
To enrich with soil or muck; to manure.
To feed, as cattle or horses, in the barn or an enclosure, with fresh grass or green food cut for them, instead of sending them out to pasture; hence (due to such food having the effect of purging them) to purge by feeding on green food.
From Middle English soile, soyle, sule, partly from Anglo-Norman soyl, from Latin solium, mistaken for Latin solum; and partly from Old English sol, from Proto-Germanic *sulą, from Proto-Indo-European *sūl-. Cognate with Middle Low German söle, Middle Dutch sol, Middle High German sol, söl, Danish søle. Compare French seuil and sol. See also sole, soal, solum.
From Middle English soilen, soulen, suylen, partly from Old French soillier, souillier, from Old Frankish *sauljan, *sulljan; partly from Old English solian, sylian, from Proto-Germanic *sulwōną, *sulwijaną, *saulijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *sūl-. Cognate with Old Frisian sulia, Middle Dutch soluwen, seulewen, Old High German solōn, bisulen, German suhlen, Danish søle, Swedish söla, Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐍃𐌰𐌿𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽. Compare sully.
From Middle English soyl, from Old French soil, souil, from Frankish *sōlja, *saulja, from Proto-Germanic *saulijō, from Proto-Indo-European *sūl-. Cognate with Old English syle, sylu, sylen, Old High German sol, gisol, German Suhle ("a wallow, mud pit, muddy pool").
From Old French saoler, saouler.
Modern English dictionary
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