soil

1
[ soil ]
See synonyms for soil on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the portion of the earth's surface consisting of disintegrated rock and humus.

  2. a particular kind of earth: sandy soil.

  1. the ground as producing vegetation or as cultivated for its crops: fertile soil.

  2. a country, land, or region: an act committed on American soil.

  3. the ground or earth: tilling the soil.

  4. any place or condition providing the opportunity for growth or development: Some believe that poverty provides the soil for crime.

Origin of soil

1
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”; see also sole2

Other words from soil

  • soilless, adjective

Other definitions for soil (2 of 3)

soil2
[ 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.

  1. to sully or tarnish, as with disgrace; defile morally: to soil one's good name.

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.

  1. a spot, mark, or stain.

  2. dirty or foul matter; filth; sewage.

Origin of soil

2
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”; see origin at sow2, -cle1

Other words for soil

Other definitions for soil (3 of 3)

soil3
[ soil ]

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

Origin of soil

3
First recorded in 1600–10; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use soil in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for soil (1 of 3)

soil1

/ (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 (def. 4), horizon (def. 5) Related adjective: telluric

  2. a type of this material having specific characteristics: loamy soil

  1. land, country, or region: one's native soil

  2. the soil life and work on a farm; land: he belonged to the soil, as his forefathers had

  3. any place or thing encouraging growth or development

Origin of soil

1
C14: from Anglo-Norman, from Latin solium a seat, but confused with Latin solum the ground

British Dictionary definitions for soil (2 of 3)

soil2

/ (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

Origin of soil

2
C13: from Old French soillier to defile, from soil pigsty, probably from Latin sūs a swine

British Dictionary definitions for soil (3 of 3)

soil3

/ (sɔɪl) /


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

Origin of soil

3
C17: perhaps from obsolete vb (C16) soil to manure, from soil ² (n)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for soil

soil

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

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for soil

soil

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

Notes for soil

Soil is produced by the weathering of rocks.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.