Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Soil

Soil (soil) , transitive verb

[Old French saoler, saouler, to satiate, French soûler, Latin satullare, from satullus, dim. of satur sated. See Satire.]

To feed, as cattle or horses, in the barn or an inclosure, with fresh grass or green food cut for them, instead of sending them out to pasture; hence (such food having the effect of purging them), to purge by feeding on green food; as, to soil a horse.

Soil , noun

[Old English soile, French sol, from Latin solum bottom, soil; but the word has probably been influenced in form by soil a miry place. Compare Saloon, Soil a miry place, Sole of the foot.]

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.
Land; country.
Must I thus leave thee, Paradise? thus leave Thee, native soil? — Milton
3.
Dung; faeces; compost; manure; as, night soil.
Improve land by dung and other sort of soils. — Mortimer
Collocations (1)
Soil pipe , a pipe or drain for carrying off night soil.

Soil , transitive verb

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

Soil , noun

[Old French soil, souil, French souille, from Old French soillier, French souiller. See Soil to make dirty.]

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
O, sir, have you taken soil here? It is well a man may reach you after three hours' running. — B. Jonson
Collocations (1)
To take soil , to run into the mire or water; hence, to take refuge or shelter.

Soil , transitive verb

[Old English soilen, Old French soillier, French souiller, (assumed) Late Latin suculare, from Latin sucula a little pig, dim. of sus a swine. See Sow, n.]

1.
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
2.
To stain or mar, as with infamy or disgrace; to tarnish; to sully. — Shakespeare

Soil , intransitive verb

To become soiled; as, light colors soil sooner than dark ones.

Soil , noun

[See Soil to make dirty, Soil a miry place.]

That which soils or pollutes; a soiled place; spot; stain.
A lady's honor... will not bear a soil. — Dryden