soil

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. (countable, uncountable)Country or territory.

   “Except during the season in town, she spends her year in golfing, either at St Magnus or Pau, for, like all good Americans, she has long since abjured her native soil.”

   “Pro-democracy demonstrations in the Thai capital saw Germany's embassy become the focus Monday as the throngs of protesters gathered in front of the mission asked Berlin to investigate whether King Maha Vajiralongkorn is inappropriately conducting state business on German soil.”

5. (countable, uncountable)That which soils or pollutes; a stain.

   “And ſince not only a dead Fathers fame, / But more a Ladies honour muſt be touch’d, / Which nice as Ermines will not bear a Soil ; / Let all retire ; that you alone may hear / What ev’n in whiſpers I won’d tell your ear.”

6. (countable, uncountable)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 Deere being ſtrucke flie thorow many ſoiles, / Yet ſtill the ſhaft ſitcks faſt, ſo ;”

7. (countable, uncountable)Dung; compost; manure.

   “night soil”

   “HAving given you an Account of the way of ordering of Meadows, Paſtures and Arable Land, with ſeveral Sorts of Improvement of them ; I ſhall in the next place proceed to give an Account of the ſeveral ways uſed to improve Land by Manure, Dung, and other Sort of Soils.”

8. (euphemistic, uncountable)Faeces or urine etc. when found on clothes.
9. (countable)A bag containing soiled items.
10. A wet or marshy place in which a boar or other such game seeks refuge when hunted.

verb

1. (transitive)To make dirty.

   “[…]Bad Fruit of Knowledge, if this be to know, / Which leaves us naked thus, of Honour void, / Of innocence, of Faith, of Puritie, / Our wonted Ornaments now ſoild and ſtaind, / And in our Faces evident the ſignes / Of foul concupiſcence ; whence eveil ſtore ; / Even ſhame, the laſt of evils ; of the firſt / Be ſure then.”

2. (intransitive)To become dirty or soiled.

   “Light colours soil sooner than dark ones.”

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

   “[…]They clip vs drunkards, and with Swiniſh phraſe / Soyle our addition, and indeede it takes / From our atchieuements, though perform’d at height / The pith and marrow of our attribute[…]”

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.

   “For to be kind to the former is traffic ; and in these times men present, just as they soil their ground, not that they love the dirt, but that they expect a crop : and for the latter, the politician well approves of the Indian’s religion, in worshiping the devil, that he may do him no hurt ; how much soever he hates him, and is hated by him.”

7. 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”