What does "soil" mean?

1. (earth for plants) the top layer of earth where plants, trees, and flowers grow. 2. (territory or country) the land that belongs to a specific country. 3. (to make dirty) to make something dirty, especially clothes or hands. 4. (to damage a reputation) to damage someone's good name or reputation. 5. (to have an accident) to accidentally go to the toilet in your clothes.

How do you use "soil"?

Often used as a reflexive verb: 'to soil oneself'.

soil

n. · v.

US //ˈsɔɪɫ// UK //sˈɔɪl// soil

1 earth for plants (n.)
B1 Intermediate Science

the top layer of earth where plants, trees, and flowers grow.

the unconsolidated mineral or organic material on the immediate surface of the earth that serves as a natural medium for the growth of land plants.

Example

The gardener added some compost to the soil to help the roses grow.

Example

The volcanic soil in this region is exceptionally fertile, providing the necessary nutrients for high-yield viticulture without the need for intensive chemical fertilisers.
2 territory or country (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

the land that belongs to a specific country.

the land or territory belonging to a particular nation or state.

Example

It was the first time the athlete had competed on foreign soil.

Example

The treaty explicitly forbids the stationing of foreign military personnel on sovereign soil during times of peace.

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3 to make dirty (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to make something dirty, especially clothes or hands.

to make something dirty or stained; often used in the passive voice to describe laundry or surfaces.

Example

Be careful not to soil your new white dress while playing outside.

Example

The white upholstery was easily soiled by the constant traffic of visitors, necessitating a strict no-shoes policy in the gallery.
- clean
- wash
4 to damage a reputation (v.)
C1 Advanced Literary

to damage someone's good name or reputation.

to tarnish or mar a reputation, character, or record with disgrace.

Example

The scandal threatened to soil the family's reputation forever.

Example

The accusations, though eventually proven false, served to soil his professional standing in a way that no formal apology could fully repair.
- honour
- clear
5 to have an accident (v.)
C1 Advanced Technical Formal Medicine

to accidentally go to the toilet in your clothes.

to dirty one's clothing by accidentally defecating or urinating while clothed.

Example

The patient was embarrassed because he had soiled himself during the night.

Example

Nursing staff must monitor elderly patients for signs of distress if they have soiled themselves, ensuring they are cleaned promptly to prevent skin irritation.

Usage

Often used as a reflexive verb: 'to soil oneself'.

Etymology 1

From Middle English soile, soyle, sule (“ground, earth”), partly from Anglo-Norman soyl (“bottom, ground, pavement”), from Latin solium (“seat, chair; throne”), mistaken for Latin solum (“ground, foundation, earth, sole of the foot”); and partly from Old English sol (“mud, mire, wet sand”), from Proto-Germanic sulą (“mud, spot”), from Proto-Indo-European sūl- (“thick liquid”). Cognate with Middle Low German söle (“dirt, mud”), Middle Dutch sol (“dirt, filth”), Middle High German sol, söl (“dirt, mud, mire”), Danish søle (“mud, muck”). Compare French seuil (“level; threshold”) and sol (“soil, earth; ground”). See also sole, soal, solum. For the sole and soil relation, compare typologically Russian по́чва (póčva) akin to подо́шва (podóšva).

Etymology 2

From Middle English soilen, soulen, suylen (“to sully, make dirty”), partly from Old French soillier, souillier (“to soil, make dirty, wallow in mire”), from Old Frankish saulijan, sulwijan (“to make dirty, soil”); partly from Old English solian, sylian (“to soil, make dirty”), from Proto-Germanic sulwōną, sulwijaną, saulijaną (“to soil, make dirty”), from Proto-Indo-European sūl- (“thick liquid”). Cognate with Old Frisian sulia (“to soil, mire”), Middle Dutch soluwen, seulewen (“to soil, besmirch”), Old High German solōn, bisulen (“to make dirty”), German suhlen (“to soil, make dirty”), Danish søle (“to make dirty, defile”), Swedish söla (“to soil, make dirty”), Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐍃𐌰𐌿𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽 (bisauljan, “to bemire”). Compare sully.

Etymology 3

From Middle English soyl, from Old French soil, souil (“quagmire, marsh”), from Frankish sōlja, saulja (“mire, miry place, wallow”), from Proto-Germanic saulijō (“mud, puddle, feces”), from Proto-Indo-European sūl- (“thick liquid”). Cognate with Old English syle, sylu, sylen (“miry place, wallow”), Old High German sol, gisol (“miry place”), German Suhle (“a wallow, mud pit, muddy pool”).

Etymology 4

From Old French saoler, saouler (“to satiate”).

Idioms2 entries