soil

I. verb Etymology: 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 Date: 13th century transitive verb 1. to stain or defile morally ; corrupt, pollute 2. to make unclean especially superficially ; dirty 3. to blacken or taint (as a person's reputation) by word or deed <

revelations that soiled his name

> intransitive verb to become soiled or dirty II. noun Date: 1501 1. a. soilage, stain <

protect a dress from soil

> b. moral defilement ; corruption 2. something that spoils or pollutes: as a. refuse b. sewage c. dung, excrement III. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, soil, piece of land, from Vulgar Latin *solium, alteration of Latin solea sole, sandal, foundation timber — more at sole Date: 14th century 1. firm land ; earth 2. a. the upper layer of earth that may be dug or plowed and in which plants grow b. the superficial unconsolidated and usually weathered part of the mantle of a planet and especially of the earth 3. country, land <

our native soil

> 4. the agricultural life or calling 5. a medium in which something takes hold and develops IV. transitive verb Etymology: origin unknown Date: 1605 to feed (livestock) in the barn or an enclosure with fresh grass or green food; also to purge (livestock) by feeding on green food