soil

1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈsȯi(-ə)l 

soiled; soiling; soils

transitive verb

1

: to stain or defile morally : corrupt

2

: to make unclean especially superficially : dirty

3

: to blacken or taint (something, such as a person's reputation) by word or deed

intransitive verb

: to become soiled or dirty

soil

2 of 4

noun (1)

1

a

: soilage, stain

protect a dress from soil

b

: moral defilement : corruption

2

: something that spoils or pollutes: such as

a

: refuse

b

: sewage

c

: dung, excrement

soil

3 of 4

noun (2)

1

: firm land : earth

2

a

: the upper layer of earth that may be dug or plowed and in which plants grow

b

: the superficial unconsolidated and usually weathered part of the mantle of a planet and especially of the earth

3

: country, land

our native soil

4

: the agricultural life or calling

5

: a medium in which something takes hold and develops

soil

4 of 4

verb (2)

soiled; soiling; soils

transitive verb

: to feed (livestock) in the barn or an enclosure with fresh grass or green food

also : to purge (livestock) by feeding on green food

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• befoul
• begrime
• bemire
• besmirch
• blacken
• daub
• dirty
• distain [archaic]
• foul
• gaum [dialect]
• grime
• mire
• muck
• muddy
• smirch
• smudge
• stain
• sully

Noun (1)

• crud
• dirt
• filth
• grime
• gunk
• muck
• smut

Noun (2)

• clod
• dirt
• earth
• ground
• mold

Examples of soil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Lightweight and easy to use, the Simpli Magic was slightly heavier when soiled, but not enough to weigh it down. —Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2023

Mattresses and box springs must not be severely damaged, wet, twisted, frozen, soiled or infested with bedbugs, a city statement reads. —San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 2023

And Girardi increasingly was unable to care for himself hygienically, wearing the same pair of pants for days, even after soiling his clothes. —Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2023

The water in his bathroom sink was plentiful and warm, the dinnerware — bowls, spoons, cups, strainer (the man has an appetite) — suitably soiled. —Peter Marks, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2023

San Francisco officials say their encampment operations allow outreach workers to connect homeless people to services while cleaning areas soiled with trash, used needles and spoiled food. —Jane Har, Anchorage Daily News, 24 Aug. 2023

Confined to a small space, with his hands tied, Anton soiled himself. —Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023

Protect your flag—make sure that it is not displayed or stored in a way that would allow the flag to be torn, soiled, or otherwise damaged. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023

Roadsides were heaped with all manner of garbage: rotting food, barbecue grills, bottles, ice chests, soiled diapers and float toys. —Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2023

Noun

Even as recent as my undergraduate soil science class (OK, not that recent), we were taught that the presence of any goldenrod in a field was synonymous with poor soil fertility. —Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 2 Sep. 2023

If the splashes are caused directly by rain droplets, spread pea gravel a couple of inches deep on top of the existing soil alongside the foundation. —Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 1 Sep. 2023

In addition to the unforgiving climate and hardscrabble, crop-resistance soil, Kahlen has to battle with Frederik de Schinkel, a brutal and arrogant land baron determined to claim Kahlen’s land for his own. —Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2023

Keep in mind that this weeder works particularly well after watering or rainfall, rather than on dry soil. —Andrea Wurzburger, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2023

This fall students will plant garlic and harvest it next spring, while Annie Bayer, farm manager and educator at Revive The Roots, Smithfield’s edible garden partner, teaches them about the role of oxygen in soil health. —Annie Sherman, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Sep. 2023

Cano says producers are focusing on optimizing soil humidity, which helps prevent moisture from escaping. —Alessio Perrone, Scientific American, 31 Aug. 2023

After soil remediation, the UIC Construction crew will install a liner in the zone where the contaminated material was excavated and backfill the soil with clean gravel, said UIC Construction Project Manager James Ashton, who is leading the work. —Alena Naiden, Anchorage Daily News, 31 Aug. 2023

Known as a carbon sink, regions like the Boreal trap carbon in their soil. —Meredith Woerner, Variety, 31 Aug. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French soiller, suiller, from Old French soil wallow of a wild boar, abyss, from Latin solium chair, bathtub; akin to Latin sedēre to sit — more at sit

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, soil, piece of land, from Vulgar Latin *solium, alteration of Latin solea sole, sandal, foundation timber — more at sole

Verb (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1501, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1605, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing soil

• desert soil
• fertile soil
• free soil
• potting soil
• native soil
• night soil
• soil one's hands
• prairie soil
• red soil
• soil pipe
• soil science
• the soil
• soil series

See More

• desert soil
• fertile soil
• free soil
• potting soil
• native soil
• night soil
• soil one's hands
• prairie soil
• red soil
• soil pipe
• soil science
• the soil
• soil series

See More

Kids Definition

soil

1 of 3 verb

ˈsȯi(ə)l 

: to make or become dirty

soil

2 of 3 noun

1

a

: soilage, stain

b

: moral soilage : corruption

2

: something that soils or pollutes

soil

3 of 3 noun

1

: firm land : earth

2

: the loose surface material of the earth in which plants grow

3

: country entry 1 sense 2b, land

4

: an environment in which something may take root and grow

slums are fertile soil for crime

Etymology

Verb

Middle English soilen "to corrupt, make dirty," from early French soiller "to wallow," from soil "pigsty"

Noun

Middle English soil "earth," from early French soil (same meaning), derived from Latin solea "sole, sandal, foundation timber"