Synonyms
Examples of soil in a Sentence
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
California also has begun the mandatory recycling of waste, such as kitchen scraps, coffee grounds and soiled paper by including it with the door-to-door collection of yard waste.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2024
The violations included dry ingredients and bulk candy being stored in unlabeled containers and ceiling fan grates located in the main meat prep room being soiled with dust build-up.
—Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2024
The carpets were horribly stained, the walls soiled with sickly black mold.
—Peter Hecht, Sacramento Bee, 21 Feb. 2024
Everything from banana peels and used coffee grounds to yard waste and soiled paper products like pizza boxes counts as organic waste.
—Amy Taxin, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2024
Then Helen is caught unprepared when her period comes early, soiling her lame pants and totally embarrassing her.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2024
The non-food contact surfaces that were soiled similarly were sides of all cooking equipment; the hood area above the cooking area; and the reach-in chest freezer gasket.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2024
Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 9 Apr. 2024
Lemon balm is not particularly picky about soil, but needs good drainage to return after winter, which is most likely in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 3-7.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 6 Apr. 2024
The seeds from the unearthed bottle were planted in beds of sterile soil.
—Kate Golembiewski, Discover Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024
Franklin Ayón, a soil scientist who was imprisoned at La Joyita in 2012 on drug trafficking charges, created a recycling system that authorities and gang leaders agreed to try, giving incarcerated people a second chance.
—Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2024
Even the Trump administration’s January 2020 assassination of the head of Iran’s Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani, took place on Iraqi soil—not in Iran.
—Jon B. Alterman, Foreign Affairs, 3 Apr. 2024
The air is warm, the smell of bright Florida sunshine on moist soil still lingering.
—Jen Guyton, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Outside of setting rules, encouraging farmers to take up practices that protect soil health can decrease nitrogen leaching.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
But that misses the reality that El Tri may benefit even more from playing games on American soil than the U.S. does.
—Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes, 27 Mar. 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.
Word History
Verb (1)
Middle English, from Anglo-French soiller, suiller, from Old French soil wallow of a wild boar, abyss, from Latin solium chair, bathtub; akin to Latin sedēre to sit — more at sit
Noun (2)
Middle English, from Anglo-French, soil, piece of land, from Vulgar Latin *solium, alteration of Latin solea sole, sandal, foundation timber — more at sole
Verb (2)
origin unknown
Verb (1)
13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun (1)
1501, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun (2)
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb (2)
1605, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing soil
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 18 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
soil
1 of 3 verbsoil
2 of 3 nounsoil
3 of 3 nounVerb
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"
More from Merriam-Webster on soil
Nglish: Translation of soil for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of soil for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about soil
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