soil

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The loose top layer of earth where plants grow, formed from minerals, decayed material, water, air, and living organisms.

   Grammar: Usually uncountable for earth in general; plural “soils” names different types or regions.

   Patterns

   • rich soil
   • in the soil
   • soil for plants
   • soil type

   The beans sprouted quickly in warm, moist soil.

   Test the soil before adding fertilizer.

2. 2noununcountableliterary

   The land of a country or place, especially when people speak of loyalty, birth, or belonging.

   Grammar: Common in phrases such as “native soil” or “on foreign soil”; not garden dirt.

   Patterns

   • native soil
   • on foreign soil
   • on neutral soil
   • return to the soil

   After years abroad, she longed to return to native soil.

   The agreement was signed on neutral soil.

3. 3verbtransitive

   Makes something dirty, stained, or less clean; figuratively, damages a name or reputation.

   Grammar: Takes an object; common with clothes, hands, bedding, or “reputation.”

   Patterns

   • soil something
   • soil your clothes
   • soil someone’s reputation
   • easily soiled

   Mud soiled the white cuffs of his jeans.

   One careless quote can soil a spokesperson’s reputation.

Word forms

Common combinations

fertile soil

Fertile soil helped the valley farms recover.

dry soil

Water only when the top inch of soil is dry.

soil sample

The gardener sent a soil sample to the lab.

soil erosion

Grasses were planted to reduce soil erosion.

soiled reputation

The scandal left the firm with a soiled reputation.

Synonyms and how they differ

earth

General word for ground; “soil” is more precise for plant-growing ground.

dirt

Common in American English; can also mean unclean matter, so context matters.

ground

The solid surface underfoot; not always loose or plant-bearing.

territory

Fits the literary land-of-a-nation sense, not garden soil.

Word family

soiled adjective

Made dirty or stained; also used figuratively for reputations.

soilless adjective

Grown without ordinary soil, as in hydroponics.

soiling noun

The act or result of making something dirty.

Commonly confused: soil or soul? soil or oil?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “soil”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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