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Meaning of soil in English

  1. Pronunciation

    /sɔɪl/

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  1. Verb

    soil

    Etymology

    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

    Definitions

    1. make soiled, filthy, or dirty

    Examples

    • « don't soil your clothes when you play outside! »

    Antonyms

    • clean
    • make clean
  2. Noun

    soil

    Etymology

    late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French, perhaps representing Latin solium‘seat’, by association with solum‘ground’

    Definitions

    1. the state of being covered with unclean things
  3. 2. the part of the earth's surface consisting of humus and disintegrated rock
  4. 3. material in the top layer of the surface of the earth in which plants can grow (especially with reference to its quality or use)

    Examples

    • « the land had never been plowed »
    • « good agricultural soil »
  5. 4. the geographical area under the jurisdiction of a sovereign state

    Examples

    • « American troops were stationed on Japanese soil »

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