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Webster 1913 Edition

Soil

Soil

(soil)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Soiled
(soild)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Soiling
.]
[OF.
saoler
,
saouler
, to satiate, F.
soûler
, L.
satullare
, fr.
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.
[OE.
soile
, F.
sol
, fr. L.
solum
bottom, soil; but the word has probably been influenced in form by
soil
a miry place. Cf.
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.
Soil pipe
,
a pipe or drain for carrying off night soil.

Soil

,
Verb.
T.
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.
[OF.
soil
,
souil
, F.
souille
, from OF.
soillier
, F.
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.
To take soil
,
to run into the mire or water; hence, to take refuge or shelter.
O, sir, have you
taken soil
here? It is well a man may reach you after three hours’ running.
B. Jonson.

Soil

,
Verb.
T.
[OE.
soilen
, OF.
soillier
, F.
souiller
, (assumed) LL.
suculare
, fr. L.
sucula
a little pig, dim. of
sus
a swine. See
Sow
,
Noun.
]
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.
Shak.
Syn. – To foul; dirt; dirty; begrime; bemire; bespatter; besmear; daub; bedaub; stain; tarnish; sully; defile; pollute.

Soil

,
Verb.
I.
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.

Webster 1828 Edition

Soil

SOIL

, v.t.
1.
To make dirty on the surface; to foul; to dirt; to stain; to defile; to tarnish; to sull; as, to soil a garment with dust. Out wonted ornaments now soil'd and stain'd.
2.
To cover or tinge with any thing extraneous; as, to soil the earth with blood.
3.
To dung; to manure.

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