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Definition of soil noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

soil

noun
 
 
/sɔɪl/
 
/sɔɪl/
[uncountable, countable]
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  1.  
     the top layer of the earth in which plants, trees, etc. grow
    • instruments for measuring soil moisture
    • soil erosion
    • the study of rocks and soils
    • sandy/fertile soil
    • rich/poor/dry/wet soil
    • acid/alkaline soil
    • clay soil
    • moisture in the soil
    • She dug the compost into the soil.
    Synonyms soilsoilmud ▪ dust ▪ clay ▪ land ▪ earth ▪ dirt ▪ groundThese are all words for the top layer of the earth in which plants grow.soil the top layer of the earth in which plants grow:
    • Plant the seedlings in damp soil.
    mud wet soil that is soft and sticky:
    • The car wheels got stuck in the mud.
    dust a fine powder that consists of very small pieces of rock, earth, etc:
    • A cloud of dust rose as the truck set off.
    clay a type of heavy sticky soil that becomes hard when it is baked and is used to make things such as pots and bricks:
    • The tiles are made of clay.
    land an area of ground, especially of a particular type:
    • an area of rich, fertile land
    earth the substance that plants grow in Earth is often used about the soil found in gardens or used for gardening: She put some earth into the pot. dirt (especially North American English) soil, especially loose soil:
    • Pack the dirt firmly around the plants.
    ground an area of soil:
    • The car got stuck in the muddy ground.
    • They drove across miles of rough, stony ground.
    Ground is not used for loose soil: a handful of dry ground     Patterns
    • good/​rich soil/​land/​earth
    • fertile/​infertile soil/​land/​ground
    • to dig the soil/​mud/​clay/​land/​earth/​ground
    • to cultivate the soil/​land/​ground
    see also potting soil
    Extra Examples
    • Keep the soil moist and fertilize weekly.
    • Soil samples taken from the site revealed massive amounts of radiation.
    • The clay soils of the region are difficult to work.
    • Rich loamy soils produce the largest leeks.
    • The flowers do well in sandy soil.
    • Cutting down forest trees can lead to serious soil erosion.
    • In the valley the soil was waterlogged.
    • Plant the seedlings in damp soil.
    • Herbs should be planted in warm soil.
    • Drainage removes excess water from the soil.
    • You can't grow rice on certain soils.
    Topics Farmingb1, Gardensb1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • deep
    • shallow
    • thin
    • …
    verb + soil
    • cultivate
    • enrich
    • improve
    • …
    soil + noun
    • conservation
    • degradation
    • erosion
    • …
    preposition
    • in (the) soil
    See full entry
  2. (literary) a country; an area of land
    • It was the first time I had set foot on African soil.
    • protests over the siting of nuclear weapons on British soil
    • He was the first Canadian to win on home/native soil (= in Canada).
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • native
    • foreign
    • American
    • …
    verb + soil
    • set foot on
    preposition
    • on…soil
    phrases
    • on home soil
    See full entry
    3. Word Originnoun late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French, perhaps representing Latin solium ‘seat’, by association with solum ‘ground’.
See soil in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee soil in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: soil

Nearby words

trait
noun
 
 
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