Definition of "soil" in English

noun

1. (uncountable) A mixture of mineral particles and organic material, used to support plant growth.

   • We bought a bag of soil for the houseplants.

2. (uncountable) 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.

3. (uncountable) The unconsolidated mineral or organic matter on the surface of the earth that has been subjected to and shows effects of genetic and environmental factors of: climate (including water and temperature effects), and macro- and microorganisms, conditioned by relief, acting on parent material over a period of time. A product-soil differs from the material from which it is derived in many physical, chemical, biological, and morphological properties and characteristics.

4. Country or territory.

5. That which soils or pollutes; a stain.

6. 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.

7. Dung; compost; manure.

   • night soil

verb

1. (transitive) To make dirty.

2. (intransitive) To become dirty or soiled.

   • Light colours soil sooner than dark ones.

3. (transitive, figurative) To stain or mar, as with infamy or disgrace; to tarnish; to sully.

4. (reflexive) To dirty one's clothing by accidentally defecating while clothed.

   • The child was so scared she soiled herself.

5. To make invalid, to ruin.

6. To enrich with soil or muck; to manure.

noun

1. (uncountable, euphemistic) Faeces or urine etc. when found on clothes.

2. (countable, medicine) A bag containing soiled items.

noun

1. A wet or marshy place in which a boar or other such game seeks refuge when hunted.

verb

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

   • to soil a horse