What does "assoil" mean?
Assoil: To solve; to clear up. [Obs.] Any child might soon be able to assoil this riddle. Bp. Jewel.
Additional senses
- 2.To set free from guilt; to absolve. [Archaic] Acquitted and assoiled from the guilt. Dr. H. More. Many persons think themselves fairly assoiled, because they are . . . not of scandalous lives. Jer. Taylor.
- 3.To expiate; to atone for. [Archaic] Spenser. Let each act assoil a fault. E. Arnold.
- 4.To remove; to put off. [Obs.] She soundly slept, and careful thoughts did quite assoil. Spenser.
- 5.To soil; to stain. [Obs. or Poet.] Beau. & Fl. Ne'er assoil my cobwebbed shield. Wordsworth.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00