soil

soil ¹  (soil)

n.

1. The top layer of the earth's surface, consisting of rock and mineral particles mixed with organic matter.

2. A particular kind of earth or ground: sandy soil.

3. Country; land: native soil.

4. The agricultural life: a man of the soil.

5. A place or condition favorable to growth; a breeding ground.

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[Middle English, from Anglo-Norman, a piece of ground (influenced in meaning by Latin solum, soil), from Latin solium, seat; see sed- in Indo-European roots.]

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soil ²  (soil)

v. soiled, soil·ing, soils

v.tr.

1. To make dirty, particularly on the surface.

2. To disgrace; tarnish: a reputation soiled by scandal.

3. To corrupt; defile.

4. To dirty with excrement.

v.intr.

To become dirty, stained, or tarnished.

n.

1.

a. The state of being soiled.

b. A stain.

2. Filth, sewage, or refuse.

3. Manure, especially human excrement, used as fertilizer.

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[Middle English soilen, from Old French souiller, from Vulgar Latin *suculre (from Late Latin suculus, diminutive of Latin ss, pig; see s- in Indo-European roots) or from souil, pigsty, wallow (from Latin solium, seat; see soil¹).]

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soil ³  (soil)

tr.v. soiled, soil·ing, soils

1. To feed (livestock) with soilage.

2. To purge (livestock) by feeding with green food.

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[Origin unknown.]

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soil¹

n

1. (Earth Sciences / Physical Geography) the top layer of the land surface of the earth that is composed of disintegrated rock particles, humus, water, and air See zonal soil, azonal soil, intrazonal soil, horizon [4] [5] Related adj telluric

2. (Earth Sciences / Physical Geography) a type of this material having specific characteristics loamy soil

3. land, country, or region one's native soil

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Agriculture)

the soil life and work on a farm; land he belonged to the soil, as his forefathers had

5. any place or thing encouraging growth or development

[from Anglo-Norman, from Latin solium a seat, but confused with Latin solum the ground]

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soil²

vb

1. to make or become dirty or stained

2. (tr) to pollute with sin or disgrace; sully; defile he soiled the family honour by his cowardice

n

1. the state or result of soiling

2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biology) refuse, manure, or excrement

[from Old French soillier to defile, from soil pigsty, probably from Latin sūs a swine]

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soil³

vb

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Agriculture) (tr) to feed (livestock) freshly cut green fodder either to fatten or purge them

[perhaps from obsolete vb (C16) soil to manure, from soil² (n)]

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soil  (soil)

The loose top layer of the Earth's surface, consisting of rock and mineral particles mixed with decayed organic matter (humus), and capable of retaining water, providing nutrients for plants, and supporting a wide range of biotic communities. Soil is formed by a combination of depositional, chemical, and biological processes and plays an important role in the carbon, nitrogen, and hydrologic cycles. Soil types vary widely from one region to another, depending on the type of bedrock they overlie and the climate in which they form. In wet and humid regions, for example, soils tend to be thicker than they do in dry regions. See more at A horizonB horizonC horizon, See illustration at ABC soil.

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Soil

See also agriculture; dirt; geology.

agrogeology

the branch of geology concerned with the adaptability of land to agriculture, soil quality, etc.

agrology

the branch of soil science dealing especially with crop production. — agrologist, n. — agrological, adj.

edaphology

pedology.

geopony

the science of cultivation; agriculture. — geoponist, n. — geoponic, geoponical, adj.

lithification

the process by which loose mineral fragments or particles of sand are solidified into stone.

paleopedology, palaeopedology

the branch of pedology that studies the soil conditions of past geologic ages. — paleopedologist, palaeopedologist, n. — paleopedologic, palaeopedologic, paleopedological, palaeopedological, adj.

pedology

the branch of agriculture that studies soils; soil science. — pedologist, n. — pedologic, pedological, adj.

pinguidity

the state or quality of being rich or fertile. — pinguid, adj.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	soil - the state of being covered with unclean things grime, grunge, dirt, filth, grease, stain dirtiness, uncleanness - the state of being unsanitary
	2.	soil - the part of the earth's surface consisting of humus and disintegrated rock dirt marl - a loose and crumbling earthy deposit consisting mainly of calcite or dolomite; used as a fertilizer for soils deficient in lime regosol - a type of soil consisting of unconsolidated material from freshly deposited alluvium or sand residual clay, residual soil - the soil that is remaining after the soluble elements have been dissolved surface soil, topsoil - the layer of soil on the surface subsoil, undersoil - the layer of soil between the topsoil and bedrock alluvial soil - a fine-grained fertile soil deposited by water flowing over flood plains or in river beds bog soil - poorly drained soils on top of peat and under marsh or swamp vegetation clay - a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired clunch - hardened clay desert soil, desertic soil - a type of soil that develops in arid climates earth, ground - the loose soft material that makes up a large part of the land surface; "they dug into the earth outside the church" caliche, hardpan - crust or layer of hard subsoil encrusted with calcium-carbonate occurring in arid or semiarid regions fuller's earth - an absorbent soil resembling clay; used in fulling (shrinking and thickening) woolen cloth and as an adsorbent gilgai soil - soil in the melon holes of Australia gumbo, gumbo soil - any of various fine-grained silty soils that become waxy and very sticky mud when saturated with water humus - partially decomposed organic matter; the organic component of soil indurated clay - hardened clay Indian red - a red soil containing ferric oxide; often used as a pigment laterite - a red soil produced by rock decay; contains insoluble deposits of ferric and aluminum oxides loam - a rich soil consisting of a mixture of sand and clay and decaying organic materials loess - a fine-grained unstratified accumulation of clay and silt deposited by the wind mould, mold - loose soil rich in organic matter mud, clay - water soaked soil; soft wet earth bole - a soft oily clay used as a pigment (especially a reddish brown pigment) podsol, podsol soil, podsolic soil, podzol, podzol soil - a soil that develops in temperate to cold moist climates under coniferous or heath vegetation; an organic mat over a grey leached layer prairie soil - a type of soil occurring under grasses in temperate climates sand - a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral sedimentary clay - clay soil formed by sedimentary deposits silt - mud or clay or small rocks deposited by a river or lake boulder clay, till - unstratified soil deposited by a glacier; consists of sand and clay and gravel and boulders mixed together tundra soil - a black mucky soil with a frozen subsoil that is characteristic of Arctic and subarctic regions wiesenboden - a dark meadow soil rich in organic material; developed through poor drainage in humid grassy or sedge regions
	3.	soil - material in the top layer of the surface of the earth in which plants can grow (especially with reference to its quality or use); "the land had never been plowed"; "good agricultural soil" land, ground object, physical object - a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow; "it was full of rackets, balls and other objects" badlands - deeply eroded barren land bottomland, bottom - low-lying alluvial land near a river coastland - land in a coastal area ploughland, plowland, tillage, tilled land, cultivated land, farmland, tilth - arable land that is worked by plowing and sowing and raising crops overburden - the surface soil that must be moved away to get at coal seams and mineral deposits permafrost - ground that is permanently frozen polder - low-lying land that has been reclaimed and is protected by dikes (especially in the Netherlands) rangeland - land suitable for grazing livestock scablands - (geology) flat elevated land with poor soil and little vegetation that is scarred by dry channels of glacial origin (especially in eastern Washington) greensward, sod, sward, turf - surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and grass roots wetland - a low area where the land is saturated with water
	4.	soil - the geographical area under the jurisdiction of a sovereign state; "American troops were stationed on Japanese soil" territory geographic area, geographic region, geographical area, geographical region - a demarcated area of the Earth
Verb	1.	soil - make soiled, filthy, or dirty; "don't soil your clothes when you play outside!" begrime, bemire, colly, dirty, grime alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" foul - make unclean; "foul the water" contaminate, pollute, foul - make impure; "The industrial wastes polluted the lake" smear - stain by smearing or daubing with a dirty substance slime - cover or stain with slime; "The snake slimed his victim" muddy, muddy up - dirty with mud splash - soil or stain with a splashed liquid mud, muck up, muck, mire - soil with mud, muck, or mire; "The child mucked up his shirt while playing ball in the garden" crock - soil with or as with crock blemish, spot - mar or impair with a flaw; "her face was blemished"

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soil¹

noun

1. earth, ground, clay, dust, dirt, loam regions with sandy soils

2. territory, country, land, region, turf (U.S. slang), terrain The issue of foreign troops on Turkish soil is a sensitive one.

Related words
adjective telluric

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soil²

verb dirty, foul, stain, smear, muddy, pollute, tarnish, spatter, sully, defile, besmirch, smirch, maculate (literary), bedraggle, befoul, begrime Young people don't want to do things that soil their hands.
dirty clean, wash, bath, sweep, dust, wipe, cleanse, vacuum, scrub, sponge, rinse, mop, launder, scour, purify, swab, disinfect, lave, sanitize

Translations

soil¹ [sɔɪl] N (= earth) → tierra f
his native soil → su tierra natal, su patria
on British soil → en suelo británico
the soil (= farmland) → la tierra

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soil² [sɔɪl]

A. VT

1. (= dirty) → ensuciar; (= stain) → manchar
to soil o.s → ensuciarse

2. (fig) [+ reputation, honour etc] → manchar
I would not soil myself by contact with → no me rebajaría a tener contacto con ...

B. VI → ensuciarse

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soil [ˈsɔɪl]

n

(= earth) → sol m
The soil here is very fertile → Le sol est très fertile ici.

(= territory) → sol m
on British soil → sur le sol britannique

modif [erosion] → des sols; [conditions, sample, type] → de sol; [science] → du sol
soil scientist → pédologue mf

vt

(= dirty) → souiller

(fig) → souiller

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soil¹

n (= earth, ground) → Erde f, → Erdreich nt, → Boden m; cover it with soil → bedecken Sie es mit Erde; native/foreign/British soil → heimatlicher/fremder/britischer Boden, heimatliche/fremde/britische Erde; the soil (fig: = farmland) → die Scholle; a son of the soil → ein mit der Scholle verwachsener Mensch

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soil²

vt (lit) → beschmutzen, schmutzig machen; (fig) reputation → beschmutzen, beflecken; honour → beflecken; oneself → besudeln; the baby has soiled its nappy → das Baby hat eine schmutzige Windel or hat in die Windel gemacht; to soil one’s hands (lit, fig) → sich (dat) → die Hände schmutzig or dreckig (inf) → machen

vi → schmutzig werden, verschmutzen

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soil [sɔɪl]

1. n (earth) → terreno, terra, suolo
chalky/poor soil → terreno calcareo/povero
cover it with soil → coprilo di terra
on British soil → sul suolo britannico
the soil (fig) (farmland) → la terra

2. vt (dirty) → sporcare (fig) (reputation, honour) → infangare, macchiare

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soil¹

n soil [soil]

the upper layer of the earth, in which plants grow to plant seeds in the soil; a handful of soil. grond تُرْبَه почва půda, země jord der (Erd)Boden έδαφος, χώμα tierra, suelo muld خاك maaperä, multa sol, terre אֲדָמָה धरती, मिट्टी, खाद, मल tlo, zemlja talaj tanah jarðvegur suolo, terreno, terra 土 토양 dirva, žemė zeme; augsne tanah teelaarde jord gleba terra sol, pământ почва; земля pôda, zem zemlja zemlja jord, mull, mylla ดิน toprak 土壤 земля; ґрунт زمین کا بالائی پرت đất trồng 土壤

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soil²

v soil [soil]

to dirty or stain Don't soil your dress with these dusty books! vuil maak يُوَسِّخ، يُلَطِّخ цапам (се) (za)špinit snavse til verschmutzen λερώνω, λεκιάζω ensuciar, manchar määrima كثيف كردن liata salir לְלַכלֵך मैला करना, दूषित करना uprljati se, zablatiti bepiszkít kotor óhreinka sporcare, insudiciare 汚す 더럽히다, 얼룩지게 하다 ištepti notraipīt(ies) kotorkan vuil maken skitne til, tilgrise brudzić, plamić sujar a murdări пачкать (za)špiniť zamazati uprljati smutsa ner ทำให้เปื้อน kirletmek, pisletmek 弄髒 бруднити; заплямувати میلا کرنا làm bẩn, làm ô nhiễm 弄脏

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soil → تربة půda jord Erde χώμα tierra maaperä terre zemlja suolo 土 흙 grond jord gleba solo почва jord ดิน toprak đất 土壤