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soul

[sohl]

Origin

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noun

the principle of life, feeling, thought, and action in humans, regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body, and commonly held to be separable in existence from the body; the spiritual part of humans as distinct from the physical part.

the spiritual part of humans regarded in its moral aspect, or as believed to survive death and be subject to happiness or misery in a life to come: arguing the immortality of the soul.

the disembodied spirit of a deceased person: He feared the soul of the deceased would haunt him.

the emotional part of human nature; the seat of the feelings or sentiments.

a human being; person.

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high-mindedness; noble warmth of feeling, spirit or courage, etc.

the animating principle; the essential element or part of something.

the inspirer or moving spirit of some action, movement, etc.

the embodiment of some quality: He was the very soul of tact.

10.

(initial capital letter

) Christian Science. God; the divine source of all identity and individuality.

11.

shared ethnic awareness and pride among black people, especially black Americans.

12.

deeply felt emotion, as conveyed or expressed by a performer or artist.

13.

soul music.

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adjective

14.

of, characteristic of, or for black Americans or their culture: soul newspapers.

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Soul is always a great word to know.

So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:

a fool or simpleton; ninny.

a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.

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Origin:
before 900; Middle English; Old English sāwl, sāwol; cognate with Dutch ziel, German Seele, Old Norse sāl, Gothic saiwala

Related forms

soul·like, adjective

un·der·soul, noun

Synonyms
1. spirit. 4. heart. 7. essence, core, heart.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To soul

Collins

World English Dictionary

soul (səʊl)

—n
1.	the spirit or immaterial part of man, the seat of human personality, intellect, will, and emotions, regarded as an entity that survives the body after deathRelated: pneumatic
2.	Christianity the spiritual part of a person, capable of redemption from the power of sin through divine grace
3.	the essential part or fundamental nature of anything
4.	a person's feelings or moral nature as distinct from other faculties
5.	a. Also called: soul music a type of Black music resulting from the addition of jazz, gospel, and pop elements to the urban blues style
	b. (as modifier): a soul singer
6.	(modifier) of or relating to Black Americans and their culture: soul brother; soul food
7.	nobility of spirit or temperament: a man of great soul and courage
8.	an inspiring spirit or leading figure, as of a cause or movement
9.	a person regarded as typifying some characteristic or quality: the soul of discretion
10.	a person; individual: an honest soul
11.	the life and soul See life
12.	upon my soul! an exclamation of surprise

Related: pneumatic

[Old English sāwol; related to Old Frisian sēle, Old Saxon sēola, Old High German sēula soul]

'soul-like

—*adj*

Soul (səʊl)

—n
	Christian Science another word for God

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

soul

O.E. sawol "spiritual and emotional part of a person, animate existence," from P.Gmc. *saiwalo (cf. O.S. seola, O.N. sala, O.Fris. sele, M.Du. siele, Du. ziel, O.H.G. seula, Ger. Seele, Goth. saiwala), of uncertain origin. Sometimes said to mean originally "coming from or belonging to the sea," because

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that was supposed to be the stopping place of the soul before birth or after death. Hence, from P.Gmc. *saiwaz (see sea). Meaning "spirit of a deceased person" is attested in O.E. from 971. As a synonym for "person, individual" (e.g. every living soul) it dates from c.1320. Soulmate (1822) is first attested in Coleridge. Soul-searching (n.) is attested from 1948, from the phrase used as a pp. adj. (1612).

soul

"instinctive quality felt by black persons as an attribute," 1946, jazz slang, from soul (1). Soulful "full of feeling" is attested from 1863. Hence Soul music, essentially gospel music with "girl" in place of "Jesus," etc., first attested 1961; William James used the term

in 1900, in a spiritual/romantic sense, but in ref. to inner music. Also from this sense are soul brother (1957), soul food (1957), etc.

COLLAPSE

American Heritage

Idioms & Phrases

soul

In addition to the idiom beginning with soul, also see bare one's soul; heart and soul; keep body and soul together; kindred spirit (soul); living soul.