soil

Definitions

1. 1.The upper stratum of the earth; the mold, or that compound substance which furnishes nutriment to plants, or which is particularly adapted to support and nourish them.
2. 2.Land; country. Must I thus leave thee, Paradise thus leave Thee, native soil Milton.
3. 3.Dung; fæces; compost; manure; as, night soil. Improve land by dung and other sort of soils. Mortimer. Soil pipe, a pipe or drain for carrying off night soil.
4. 4.To enrich with soil or muck; to manure. Men . . . soil their ground, not that they love the dirt, but that they expect a crop. South.
5. 5.A marshy or miry place to which a hunted boar resorts for refuge; hence, a wet place, stream, or tract of water, sought for by other game, as deer. As deer, being stuck, fly through many soils, Yet still the shaft sticks fast. Marston. To take soil, to run into the mire or water; hence, to take refuge or shelter. O, sir, have you taken soil here It is well a man may reach you after three hours' running. B. Jonson.
6. 6.To make dirty or unclean on the surface; to foul; to dirty; to defile; as, to soil a garment with dust. Our wonted ornaments now soiled and stained. Milton.
7. 7.To stain or mar, as with infamy or disgrace; to tarnish; to sully. Shak.
8. 8.To become soiled; as, light colors soil sooner than dark ones.
9. 9.That which soils or pollutes; a soiled place; spot; stain. A lady's honor . . . will not bear a soil. Dryden.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Related questions

• What does "soil" mean?
• What is another word for "soil"?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is soil.

• What is the upper stratum of the earth; the mold, or that compound substance which furnishes nutriment to plants, or which is particularly adapted to support and nourish them called?
• What is land; country. Must I thus leave thee, Paradise thus leave Thee, native soil Milton called?
• What is dung; fæces; compost; manure; as, night soil. Improve land by dung and other sort of soils. Mortimer. Soil pipe, a pipe or drain for carrying off night soil called?
• What is to enrich with soil or muck; to manure. Men . . . soil their ground, not that they love the dirt, but that they expect a crop. South called?
• What is to make dirty or unclean on the surface; to foul; to dirty; to defile; as, to soil a garment with dust. Our wonted ornaments now soiled and stained. Milton called?
• What is to stain or mar, as with infamy or disgrace; to tarnish; to sully. Shak called?
• What is to become soiled; as, light colors soil sooner than dark ones called?
• What is that which soils or pollutes; a soiled place; spot; stain. A lady's honor . . . will not bear a soil. Dryden called?