subsoiln.adj.
/ˈsʌbsɔɪl/, U.S. /ˈsəbˌsɔɪl/ A. n.
1. The stratum of soil lying immediately under the surface soil, or beneath the normal depth of disturbance by cultivation; soil from this stratum; (also) a particular example of this.In quot. 1774 perhaps in attributive relation to implement.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > structure of the earth > constituent materials > earth or soil > [noun] > subsoil
sole1683
undersoil1707
substratum1730
under-earth1765
subsoil1774
subsurface1775
substramen1797
underground1812
1774 W. Marshall Minutes Agric. 11 Sept. (1778) I stumbled on an Implement, which..may in a few minutes be a sub-soil, a move-soil, a turn-soil, a mid-soil, and & sur-soil.
1775 W. Marshall Minutes Agric. 4 Sept. (1778) A retentive sub-soil creates wet land—an absorbent one dry.
1799 J. Robertson Gen. View Agric. Perth 287 On light land, with a gravelly subsoil, thirty or thirty-five bolls are accounted a sufficient dose.
1850 D. T. Ansted Elem. Course Geol. §1018 In most cases the subsoil is immediately, and the soil intermediately, derived from the decomposition of the subjacent rock.
1879 R. Jefferies Wild Life 44 The chalky subsoil coming there nearer to the surface.
1906 E. W. Hilgard Soils viii. 120 Soil and subsoil: by which are ordinarily meant, respectively, the portion of the soil-material usually subjected to tillage, and what lies beneath.
1925 J. Grant Amos's Processes of Flour Manuf. (new ed.) vii. 45 They prevent unequal settlement and side movement even on clay and silt sub-soils.
1965 T. Holme Carlyles at Home x. 153 The upper soil was thin with a gravelly subsoil, but fruit-trees had managed to thrust their roots down far enough to survive.
2008 U. McGovern Lost Crafts (2009) 231 Daub was also composed of locally sourced ingredients, and typically consisted of subsoil, cow dung, chopped straw and water.
2. In extended use and figurative.
ΚΠ
1839 T. Carlyle Chartism iii. 22 This same crude subsoil is the first step of all true husbandry.
1852 M. Pattison in Westm. Gaz. (1906) 15 Feb. 2/1 It would be the beginning of a system by which the University would strike its roots freely into the subsoil of society.
1871 R. Browning Prince Hohenstiel-Schwangau 8 The subsoil of me, mould Whence spring my moods.
1911 Kindergarten Rev. Dec. 204/2 A little leisure for good impressions to take hold in the spiritual subsoil of our lives.
1969 New Scientist 20 Feb. 395/2 The sea-bed and subsoil underneath all the oceans of the world.
1990 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 15 Feb. 3/2 Magris's attention to the linguistic subsoil..makes the book a welcome relief from the now-hackneyed travelogues of socialism in decay.
2006 A. Davies Goodbye Lemon i. 36 A subsoil of shifting powdered kitty litter and comminuted dog food—dry only, thank goodness.
B. adj.
1. Located, occurring, or acting within the subsoil or (occasionally) beneath the soil; reaching down to the subsoil.See also subsoil plough n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > structure of the earth > constituent materials > earth or soil > [adjective] > subsoil
subsoil1775
substratal1838
1775 W. Marshall Minutes Agric. 5 Dec. (1778) The ninth is the last plit of the first land; but every succeeding land has a tenth—a sub-soil plit—a crum-furrow—which forms the new inter-furrow.
1838 J. Smith Thorough Draining (ed. 4) 23 For the purpose of breaking the subsoil furrow.
1840 J. Buel Farmer's Compan. (ed. 2) 103 Subsoil draining, or the drainage of waters that rise through the subsoil, or pass off at its outcroppings.
1884 Harper's Mag. Apr. 761/2 This subsoil water..is scarcely less foul than sewage.
1929 F. E. Bear Theory & Pract. Use of Fertilizers ix. 146 In the event of mineral elements being dissolved in the subsoil water they may be available for the use of the plant.
1971 Arable Farmer Feb. 31/2 In order to break any pan a 3-furrow Lemken deep-digger, with a sub-soil tine behind each furrow, is used.
1977 D. Harsent Dreams of Dead 40 I imagine you staring straight up out of the cloak of hair and subsoil litter.
2002 R. D. Treloar Plumbing: Heating & Gas Installations (ed. 2) viii. 314 The house drain is connected to a septic tank with a natural drainage irrigation trench or subsoil drain through which water can drain into the soil.
2. figurative. Penetrating deep down. rare.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > close examination, scrutiny > [adjective] > of scrutiny: close, rigorous
narroweOE
searching1648
close1662
subsoil1882
tooth-comb1893
1882 W. Cory Lett. & Jrnls. (1897) 485 German is used by subsoil research men.
1894 Advance (Chicago) 12 Apr. Deep sub-soil repentance makes strong, healthy Christians who will stand wash and wear.
1969 G. H. Luce Old Burma: Early Pagán in Artibus Asiae I. ii. 45 Patient sub-soil research alone will allow us to put flesh on the bones, and possibly..revive in just proportions the true greatness of the Maker of Burma.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2012; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
subsoilv.
/ˈsʌbsɔɪl/, U.S. /ˈsəbˌsɔɪl/ 1. transitive. To plough (land) so as to cut into the subsoil, esp. in order to loosen but not turn it; to use a subsoil plough on (ground, a crop).
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > farming > cultivation or tillage > breaking up land > ploughing > plough (land) [verb (transitive)] > deep plough
trench-plough1731
sub1775
subsoil1818
subsoil-plough1844
sub-plough1845
1818 Philos. Mag. & Jrnl. 52 437 An entire new race of vegetables in due time rise, take place of those now subsoiled,..and flourish in all the exuberant pride of new existence.
1840 Trans. Yorkshire Agric. Soc. 47 In September, 1838, I subsoiled two fields of ten acres each.
1875 A. Smith New Hist. Aberdeenshire ii. 1209 A considerable extent of the old tilly ground has been thorough drained, but not much of it subsoiled.
1938 Times 25 July 18/4 The use of a subsoiler..gave no significant increase in the sugar beet crop, as compared with the area that was not subsoiled.
1997 Arable Farming (Nexis) 22 July 30 The land was subsoiled and ploughed in the autumn.
2. transitive. figurative or in figurative context. Now rare.
ΚΠ
1853 W. M. Thackeray Eng. Humourists ii. 97 He had not worked crop after crop from his brain, manuring hastily, subsoiling indifferently.
1878 T. L. Cuyler Pointed Papers 13 They subsoiled with the plough of Divine truth, which ripped to pieces self-righteousness and other secret sins.
1903 O. P. Fitzgerald Fifty Years 76 He quickly got the ear and heart of the Church. He subsoiled it with missionary principles and facts.
Derivatives
ˈsubsoiled adj.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > farming > farm > farmland > land suitable for cultivation > [adjective] > broken > arable > ploughed
drivena1225
eareda1300
fallow1530
ploughed1535
rift1635
subsoiled1840
bouted1864
tilthed1866
1840 Trans. Yorkshire Agric. Soc. 48 One of these subsoiled fields produced 35..bus. of wheat per acre.
1920 Amer. Missionary May 79/2 A subsoiled mind will yield the richest return in all that is not sordid.
1997 Soybean Digest (Nexis) Dec. As usual, the beans began to die in August the following year—all except the subsoiled strips.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2012; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adj.1774
v.1818