soil
noun
[ sɔɪl ]
• the upper layer of earth in which plants grow, a black or dark brown material typically consisting of a mixture of organic remains, clay, and rock particles.
• "blueberries need very acid soil"
Similar:
earth,
loam,
sod,
ground,
dirt,
clay,
turf,
topsoil,
mould,
humus,
marl,
dust,
Origin:
late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French, perhaps representing Latin solium ‘seat’, by association with solum ‘ground’.
soil
verb
• make dirty.
• "he might soil his expensive suit"
Similar:
dirty,
get/make dirty,
get/make filthy,
blacken,
grime,
begrime,
stain,
muddy,
splash,
spot,
spatter,
splatter,
smear,
smudge,
sully,
spoil,
defile,
pollute,
contaminate,
foul,
befoul,
make mucky,
muck up,
Opposite:
keep clean,
clean,
soil
noun
• waste matter, especially sewage containing excrement.
Origin:
Middle English (as a verb): from Old French soiller, based on Latin sucula, diminutive of sus ‘pig’. The earliest use of the noun (late Middle English) was ‘muddy wallow for wild boar’; current noun senses date from the early 16th century.
soil
verb
• feed (cattle) on fresh-cut green fodder (originally for the purpose of purging them).
Origin:
early 17th century: perhaps from soil2.
