soil

1 of 4

verb (1)

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

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

Examples of soil in a Sentence

Verb (1) oil and grease soiled the mechanic's shirt Noun (1) got some sort of soil on my white pants the horse lifted its tail and deposited its soil on the grass Noun (2) bought rich soil to plant flowers in happy to have soil under my feet after that long sea voyage
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Wearing shoes in the home tracks soil from outside, leaving floors dirtier and requiring more frequent sweeping. Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Sep. 2025 The sour smell of death was inescapable, as were remnants of what was left behind: discarded food bags and containers, soiled clothing, starved, bone-thin dogs, and cars, minivans, and SUVs submerged in dirty brown water. Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
Getty Images On September 11, 2001, tragedy struck America—a deadly terror attack on United States soil. Rachel Burchfield, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025 The September 11 attacks were the deadliest terrorist attack on US soil, killing nearly 3,000 people, most of them in New York. Melissa Gray, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for soil

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of soil was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Soil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soil. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

soil

1 of 3 verb
: to make or become dirty

soil

2 of 3 noun
1
a
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
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"

More from Merriam-Webster on soil

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