soil

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Soiled 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Land; country. [ 1913 Webster ]

Must I thus leave thee, Paradise? thus leave
Thee, native soil? Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Dung; faeces; compost; manure; as, night soil. [ 1913 Webster ]

Improve land by dung and other sort of soils. Mortimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Soil pipe, a pipe or drain for carrying off night soil. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To enrich with soil or muck; to manure. [ 1913 Webster ]

Men . . . soil their ground, not that they love the dirt, but that they expect a crop. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

As deer, being stuck, fly through many soils,
Yet still the shaft sticks fast. Marston. [ 1913 Webster ]

To take soil, to run into the mire or water; hence, to take refuge or shelter. [ 1913 Webster ]

O, sir, have you taken soil here? It is well a man may reach you after three hours' running. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t.[ OE. soilen, OF. soillier, F. souiller, (assumed) LL. suculare, fr. L. sucula a little pig, dim. of sus a swine. See Sow, n. ] 1. To make dirty or unclean on the surface; to foul; to dirty; to defile; as, to soil a garment with dust. [ 1913 Webster ]

Our wonted ornaments now soiled and stained. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To stain or mar, as with infamy or disgrace; to tarnish; to sully. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To foul; dirt; dirty; begrime; bemire; bespatter; besmear; daub; bedaub; stain; tarnish; sully; defile; pollute. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To become soiled; as, light colors soil sooner than dark ones. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Stain; foulness. [ R. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Destitute of soil or mold. [ 1913 Webster ]