soiled; soiling; soils
1
: to stain or defile morally : corrupt
2
: to make unclean especially superficially : dirty
3
: to blacken or taint (something, such as a person's reputation) by word or deed
: to become soiled or dirty
1
: firm land : earth
2
a
: the upper layer of earth that may be dug or plowed and in which plants grow
b
: the superficial unconsolidated and usually weathered part of the mantle of a planet and especially of the earth
4
: the agricultural life or calling
5
: a medium in which something takes hold and develops
soiled; soiling; soils
: to feed (livestock) in the barn or an enclosure with fresh grass or green food
also
: to purge (livestock) by feeding on green food
Synonyms
Examples of soil in a Sentence
Verb (1)
oil and grease soiled the mechanic's shirt
Noun (1)
got some sort of soil on my white pants
the horse lifted its tail and deposited its soil on the grass
Noun (2)
bought rich soil to plant flowers in
happy to have soil under my feet after that long sea voyage
Recent Examples on the Web
Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 13 May 2024
Shrub Oak said some students have conditions that lead them to soil themselves — sometimes intentionally — and that staff are always available to let students in the locked bathrooms.
—Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 8 May 2024
According to journalist and author Molly C. Crosby, Blackburn collected garments soiled with blood and vomit from Yellow Fever victims.
—TIME, 4 May 2024
She’s grown up dirt poor, been sent to a convent and winds up summoned to the bedroom of a bored, pampered king who cycles through mistresses as if they were soiled laundry.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 1 May 2024
But Take Note The skirt isn’t waterproof, so if your baby moves around a lot through the night, there’s still a chance of soiling the sides of the mattress.
—Kelsey Kunik, Parents, 10 Apr. 2024
In addition to the cutting boards, the deli slicer was soiled.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2024
There was also soiled equipment sitting by the dishwashing area.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2024
The myriad corruption investigations around the Tokyo Olympics are the latest to soil recent Games.
—Yuri Kageyama and Stephen Wade, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2024
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 15 May 2024
More than 177,000 tons of soil and over 67 million gallons of wastewater have been hauled away as part of the ongoing cleanup that’s cost the railroad more than $1 billion.
—Josh Funk, Fortune, 15 May 2024
Keep an eye on your plant’s growth and top layer of soil—most houseplants typically need to be refreshed or repotted once every three to five years.
—Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 15 May 2024
The deluge has fostered an environment of wet soil and high waterways, only increasing the possibility of floods as more rain rolls in.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 15 May 2024
In response, Orano points to independent monitoring by Mongolia’s Academy of Sciences that found no discernible impact to local water, soil, air, or vegetation.
—TIME, 14 May 2024
Bugs, soil, green thumbs are all part of Allegiant Prep's new urban regenerative farming program.
—Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 14 May 2024
Before a crowd thronging the waterfront and hilltops of the ancient port city of Marseille, the Olympic flame arrived on French soil on Wednesday, beginning a 79-day relay across the country and its territories that will culminate in Paris with the start of the Olympic Games on July 26.
—Ségolène Le Stradic, New York Times, 8 May 2024
The family sought reimbursement for expenses related to the spill, monetary damages and an order that the oil companies finish removing the contaminated soil and water.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 6 May 2024
Verb
During her testimony, Hailey said Hayden had soiled his diaper and took too long to get a juice box from the refrigerator before Joseph got angry and began punching him in the chest and head repeatedly, the Sun Herald and WLOXreported.
—Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 13 May 2024
Shrub Oak said some students have conditions that lead them to soil themselves — sometimes intentionally — and that staff are always available to let students in the locked bathrooms.
—Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 8 May 2024
According to journalist and author Molly C. Crosby, Blackburn collected garments soiled with blood and vomit from Yellow Fever victims.
—TIME, 4 May 2024
She’s grown up dirt poor, been sent to a convent and winds up summoned to the bedroom of a bored, pampered king who cycles through mistresses as if they were soiled laundry.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 1 May 2024
But Take Note The skirt isn’t waterproof, so if your baby moves around a lot through the night, there’s still a chance of soiling the sides of the mattress.
—Kelsey Kunik, Parents, 10 Apr. 2024
In addition to the cutting boards, the deli slicer was soiled.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2024
There was also soiled equipment sitting by the dishwashing area.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2024
The myriad corruption investigations around the Tokyo Olympics are the latest to soil recent Games.
—Yuri Kageyama and Stephen Wade, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2024
Noun
The archaeologists spoke to the local community who said farmers had been going to the plain for decades, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s to get soil for their agricultural practices and had taken layers of the soil.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 15 May 2024
More than 177,000 tons of soil and over 67 million gallons of wastewater have been hauled away as part of the ongoing cleanup that’s cost the railroad more than $1 billion.
—Josh Funk, Fortune, 15 May 2024
Keep an eye on your plant’s growth and top layer of soil—most houseplants typically need to be refreshed or repotted once every three to five years.
—Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 15 May 2024
The deluge has fostered an environment of wet soil and high waterways, only increasing the possibility of floods as more rain rolls in.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 15 May 2024
In response, Orano points to independent monitoring by Mongolia’s Academy of Sciences that found no discernible impact to local water, soil, air, or vegetation.
—TIME, 14 May 2024
Bugs, soil, green thumbs are all part of Allegiant Prep's new urban regenerative farming program.
—Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 14 May 2024
Before a crowd thronging the waterfront and hilltops of the ancient port city of Marseille, the Olympic flame arrived on French soil on Wednesday, beginning a 79-day relay across the country and its territories that will culminate in Paris with the start of the Olympic Games on July 26.
—Ségolène Le Stradic, New York Times, 8 May 2024
The family sought reimbursement for expenses related to the spill, monetary damages and an order that the oil companies finish removing the contaminated soil and water.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 6 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'soil.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to soil
Dictionary Entries Near soil
Cite this Entry
“Soil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soil. Accessed 19 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
soil
1 of 3 verb
: to make or become dirty
soil
2 of 3 noun1
b
: moral soilage : corruption
2
: something that soils or pollutes
soil
3 of 3 noun1
: firm land : earth
2
: the loose surface material of the earth in which plants grow
4
: an environment in which something may take root and grow
slums are fertile soil for crime
Etymology
Verb
Middle English soilen "to corrupt, make dirty," from early French soiller "to wallow," from soil "pigsty"
Noun
Middle English soil "earth," from early French soil (same meaning), derived from Latin solea "sole, sandal, foundation timber"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share