soil1 nounsoil2 verb
soilsoil1 /sɔɪl/ ●●● W2 noun 
WORD ORIGINsoil1
Origin:
1200-1300 Anglo-French ‘piece of ground’, from Latin solium ‘seat’; influenced by Latin solum ‘ground, soil’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- soil and water pollution
- Most herbs grow well in dry soil.
- Parsley should have a deep, moist, fertile soil for ideal growth.
- Right-wing activists found fertile soil for their anti-immigrant ideas in southeastern regions.
- Roses do best in well-drained, slightly acid soil.
- The island was a jungle of palm trees in a sandy soil.
- The treaty will be signed on US soil.
- This was the first time that the Pope had set foot on Cuban soil.
- A few infections arise from inanimate sources: for example, pathogens that cause tetanus are harboured in the soil.
- A stable soil soaks up water, and allows acid to break up bedrock and create more soil.
- Other considerations for siting Neolithic settlements included good water and soil, and convenient pasture land for newly domesticated animals.
- Star fruit trees like well-draining, moist and slightly acid soil.
- The limiting factor for early planting is more often waterlogged soil than cold temperatures.
- This can be promoted by burning which removes woody tissue and locally enriches the soil.
THESAURUS
the top layer of the earth that plants grow in: · Roses do best in well-drained, slightly acid soil.
the brown substance that the ground is made up of: · Thousands of tons of earth were moved to build the dam.
American English loose dry earth: · a pile of loose dirt in the wheelbarrow
a dry powder made up of extremely small bits of earth or sand: · A cloud of dust billowed out behind the tractor.
wet soil that has become soft and sticky: · The dog came back covered in mud.
Longman Language Activatorland that belongs to a particular country · Colombian guerrillas had reportedly been operating in Venezuelan territory.· Ecevit campaigned in May 1991 to have foreign troops removed from Turkish territory.
: on British/French/US etc soil on land that belongs to Britain, France, the US etc - use this to talk especially about important events: · The treaty will be signed on US soil.· This was the first time that the Pope had set foot on Cuban soil.
the substance that forms the surface of the land the brown substance that the ground is made up of: · Outside, the sun beat down on the red baked earth of Provence.· Thousands of tons of earth were moved to build the dam.
the earth that plants grow in: · Roses do best in well-drained, slightly acid soil.fertile soil (=soil that plants grow well in): · Parsley should have a deep, moist, fertile soil for ideal growth.
American loose dry earth: · The kids were playing in the yard, digging in the dirt.
WORD SETSallotment, nounannual, nounarbour, nounaspidistra, nounbackyard, nounbarrow, nounbed, nounbillhook, nounbirdbath, nounblackcurrant, nounbloom, nounbloom, verbblossom, nounblossom, verbbonemeal, nounborder, nounbush, nounbusy Lizzie, nouncamellia, nouncane, nouncarnation, nounchrysanthemum, nounclematis, nounclimber, nouncloche, nouncompost, nouncompost, verbconifer, nounconservatory, nouncornflower, nouncrazy paving, nouncultivate, verbcultivation, nouncutting, noundaffodil, noundahlia, nounedge, verbfertilizer, nounfish meal, nounflower, verbflowerbed, nounflowerpot, nounfoliage, nounforget-me-not, nounfork, nounfork, verbfoxglove, nounframe, noungarden, noungarden, verbgarden centre, noungardener, noungardenia, noungazebo, noungeranium, noungerminate, verbgladiolus, nounglasshouse, noungnome, noungraft, noungraft, verbgrass, noungreenfly, noungreenhouse, noungrowbag, nounGrowbag, nounhardware, nounhardy, adjectivehardy perennial, nounheavy, adjectivehedge, nounheliotrope, nounherbaceous border, nounherbicide, nounhibiscus, nounhoe, nounholly, nounhollyhock, nounhoneysuckle, nounhorticulture, nounhose, nounhosepipe, nounhothouse, nounhouseplant, nounhumus, nounhyacinth, nouninsecticide, nouniris, nounivy, nounjasmine, nounkitchen garden, nounlandscape, verblandscape architect, nounlandscape gardening, nounlawn, nounlawn mower, nounlift, verblilac, nounlily of the valley, nounlop, verblush, adjectivemanicured, adjectivemanure, nounmorning glory, nounmow, verbmower, nounmuck, nounmulch, nounmulch, verbnarcissus, nounnursery, nounnurseryman, nounorangery, nounorganic, adjectiveovergrown, adjectiveox-eye, nounpack, verbparterre, nounpatch, nounpeat, nounpeony, nounpergola, nounpesticide, nounpetunia, nounphlox, nounpink, nounplant, verbplanter, nounplot, nounpoinsettia, nounpot, nounpot, verbpot plant, nounpotted, adjectivepotting shed, nounpropagate, verbpropagator, nounprune, verbrake, nounrake, verbrank, adjectiverockery, nounrock garden, nounrose, nounscion, nounsecateurs, nounseed, verbseedbed, nounset, nounshears, nounsickle, nounsnapdragon, nounsod, nounsoil, nounsow, verbspade, nounsprinkler, nounsweet pea, nounsweet william, nountopdressing, nountopiary, nountrain, verbtransplant, verbtrellis, nountrimmer, nountrowel, nounturf, nounturf, verbuproot, verbvegetable, nounwater butt, nounwatering can, nounweed, verbweedkiller, nounweedy, adjectivewheelbarrow, nounwindow box, nounwisteria, nounyard, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYADJECTIVES/NOUN + soil
Heavy rain meant the pitch was waterlogged.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
(=good for growing plants)· The fertile soil produces delicious wines.
(=not good for growing plants)· If the soil is poor, add manure or compost.
· The soil near the river is rich and deep.
(=not deep)· The thin soil is easily washed away.
· Keep the soil moist.· The soil was dry after three weeks without rain.
(=containing a lot of sand)· Some plants prefer sandy soils.
(=containing a lot of clay)· The soil was too heavy to grow decent carrots.
(=letting water pass through easily)· Plant the seedlings out in a warm, sunny position in well-drained soil.
· Blueberries need acid soil.
· Try planting them in compost rather than garden soil.
verbs (=prepare the soil to grow plants)· They worked the soil with hoes and forks.
(=prepare the soil to grow crops)· Their time is spent in constantly tilling the soil.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES (=soil from which water flows away quickly or slowly) This plant needs rich, well-drained soil.
This plant needs rich, well-drained soil.· Soil erosion is worse in areas where trees have been cut down.
· Where shall I put the dirty nappy?
· They analysed soil samples collected from streams.
(=for example, sandy soil or clay soil)· The plant thrives in a wide range of soil types.
Heavy rain meant the pitch was waterlogged.· All it had was dry soil and impoverished villages.· The two together make poor, dry soil more moisture-retentive, and improve the drainage in heavy soils.· Ideally, the site should consist of well drained, dry, granular soil.· Now the areas of sands and gravels have dry soils with few chemicals for crops.· Acid grasslands on dry or well-drained soils are relatively scarce.· The funnel-shaped pits are constructed in dry soil or sand using a novel excavation technique.
· This new and fertile soil rapidly developed her character and painting style.· These tender plants like a moist, well-draining and fertile soil.· Quince C Semi-dwarfing, used for strong-growing types, needs fertile soil.· It appreciates an acidic, fertile soil that drains well.· Agriculture flourished on the fertile soils of Kosovo and Metohija.· Sun or partial sun is fine, as is a fertile, well-draining soil.· Once you get a fertile soil, the bully boys tend to take over and only about half a dozen plants flourish.· This plant likes sun and water as well as a fertile, well-draining soil.
· He wanted no part of foreign soils.· Will your grandchildren forgive us, Erich, if we surrender our armies on foreign soil without a fight?· He was not a man to show public affection on foreign soil.· They disembarked at Calais but under the bright lights of the dockside Stephen had no sense of foreign soil.
· Wheat out-produces rye on good soils, and has a high market value for bread, pastry and pasta.· Also, you could then irrigate the lower valley lands, which usually have better soil and a longer growing season.· Needs good soil and permanent staking.· Other considerations for siting Neolithic settlements included good water and soil, and convenient pasture land for newly domesticated animals.· Pixy Dwarf, good for heavy soils.· There is good soil, good rain.· Inmil Dwarf, needs good soil and permanent stakes.· Use a good potting soil that is high in organic material.
· At ground level, bergenias, hellebores and, of course, snowdrops all love heavy soil.· It requires little care beyond placing out of heavy damp soil and makes an outstanding accent to the rock garden.· Spring can return with tulips, most of which enjoy a well drained, heavy soil.· Avoid spots with heavy clay soil.· Straw from the previous wheat crop was chopped and spread before the heavy soil was deep cultivated.· Pixy Dwarf, good for heavy soils.· Naked wheats are free-threshing and, unlike the hulled varieties preferred earlier, grow best on heavy soils.· Plants tend to grow big and lush on heavy soils, a feature worth enhancing by going for vigorous species.
· Early potatoes grow well on light sandy soils which warm quickly in the spring.· These plants share an enjoyment of light, well-nourished soil and a sunny position.· Black cattle, when they were used at all, ploughed light sandy soil.· The lighter the soil the fewer water-furrows were needed and, therefore, the wider were the stetches.· It is a fairly sparse forest mostly of birch trees on a light, sandy soil.· They are the ever present generally light soils that occur everywhere in manufacturing, catering and retailing.· The bank on each side of the oak tree was bare and consisted of a light, gravelly soil.· A light covering of soil must be given and the pans watered with a fine rose attachment.
· It hadn't lain loose in the soil for centuries, or even for weeks.· Magnolias fare best in acidic, loose soil.· The animal was attracted by the smell of the explosive and pawed at loose soil beneath a tree.· Struggling out much later from the weight of corpses, crawling out of the loose soil.· The solid rocks have been weathered to form loose soil.· You should never wash roots before storing, but always gently rub off any loose soil.· Clear off all loose top soil within an area slightly larger than the size of the workshop.· Remove any heavy loose soil by scraping.
· They should be planted in moist soil that is high in organic content for best results.· In general, ferns like organically enriched, moist but well-draining soil on the acid side.· What it does require, however, is a moist soil rather than one that is very dry.· The fungus grows best on the surface of moist soils, containing bird and bat droppings.· A Astilbes are hardy herbaceous perennials which prefer a deep, moist, loamy soil.· They do best in moist but well-drained soil.· Prefers rich, moist but well-drained soil.· A rich, moist soil and an open situation he considered ideal for producing the best blooms.
· The deeply symbolic ritual act of treading the earth affirms the relationship of human beings to their native soil.· State historian and native soil Charles Morrissey has observed that a sadness has always pervaded Vermont.
· Specific handicaps refer to natural conditions unfavourable for agricultural production, e.g. poor soil, poor drainage or excessive salinity.· It is well suited to poor soil and ideal if you want to plant a traditional orchard.· Plums, peaches, nectarines St Julian A Fairly vigorous, best for large gardens or poor soils.· Oats grow best in the wetter, cooler parts of the country and are much more tolerant of poor, acid soils.· The two together make poor, dry soil more moisture-retentive, and improve the drainage in heavy soils.· Yet it was clear that intensive farming was not possible on the poor Pomeranian soil.· Beans and corn sprout from these nutrient-poor soils.· Rye is very tolerant of poor, acid soils, is extremely frost-hardy and ripens much earlier than other cereals.
· Give it a rich soil in full sun and it will pay for its keep a thousandfold.· Cabbages should be grown in a rich, loamy soil that is not too acid.· Acidification is less of a problem on the richer lowland soils because rainwater acids are quickly neutralized.· A customary error committed by aquarists is to cling to the opinion that the Aponogeton species do not require a rich soil.· The peat and silt are rich soils on which farmers obtain high yields without using as much expensive artificial fertiliser as elsewhere.· Prefers rich well-drained soil in the sun.· Acorus should be planted in rich soil.
· Early potatoes grow well on light sandy soils which warm quickly in the spring.· We drove through it, got out, and walked in the sandy soil.· Once he saw a glade, a secret place with a floor of pale, sandy soil.· She crawled on the ground in agony, fingers digging into the sandy soil like steel claws.· Recent bootprints were marked in the thin coating of green sandy soil that had been blown by gentle breezes over the buildings.· I dig my heels into the sandy soil of the path.· Anchorage is lower in friable or sandy soils and following rain.· A constant water supply can not be guaranteed in sandy or rocky soils in a low-rainfall area.
· The thin soil that covers the forest floor is easily washed away.· On the contrary, they first cultivated the thin but unencumbered soil on top of the hills.· As the population expanded, the forest was increasingly depleted, and its thin soils were worked to exhaustion.· But these are thin soils with an uncertain water supply; not naturally the best land for arable cash crops or cattle.· You can speed things along by spreading a thin layer of soil and compost over bare areas and planting more grass plugs.· On the top of the pavement a thin soil may develop and thyme and rock roses are able to grow.
NOUN· These giant worms live in clay soils close to watercourses in the Bass River valley, southeast of Melbourne.· I would dig the grave myself, six feet down into the dense clay soil.· But if you have a heavy clay soil, wait for warmer weather.· Avoid spots with heavy clay soil.· To draw a heavy plough through wet clay soil, a pair of oxen, yoked together was used.· Clay Soils Clay soils undergo a considerable change in volume.· All morning, as we negotiated puddles in the wet clay soil, we were to hear the lovely sound.· The Brigadier and the Captain sank their cavalry boots deep into the clay soil and began looking about.
· Some land reforms have embraced soil conservation as a sine qua non of long term productivity gains by land reform beneficiaries.· At the same time, the effectiveness of soil conservation measures is apparent.· This last point is one which is developed here in relation to soil conservation.· In the absence of soil conservation, the productivity of these lands w ill inevitably decline rapidly.· Examples of technical failures of mechanical means of soil conservation have already been given in Chapter 5.· However, more evidence is needed about soil conservation programmes themselves.· Both family planning and soil conservation are activities which governments attempt to get people to undertake.
· Although the increase in rainfall would aid irrigation, it would add to the problems of soil erosion and nutrient leaching.· In 1983 Lewes District Council spent £12,000 to alleviate the effects of soil erosion on a housing estate.· There are problems related to the complex and varying manner in which symptoms of soil erosion appear through time.· We infer that they accumulated during periods of accelerated soil erosion.· In addition, the scale of measurement over which soil erosion occurs affects the measurement itself.· The question arises as to why there is so little official action to combat soil erosion.· Pollution, mining, uncontrolled tourism and soil erosion caused by logging are to blame.· Constructing rows of turbines in strategic areas could reduce soil erosion and help to phase out the use of wood for fuel.
· The non-burrowing earthworms play a different role in soil fertility.· A green manure is a crop grown mainly to improve soil fertility.· Synthetic fertilisers and pesticides are banned and soil fertility and pest control is achieved through crop rotation and mixed farming systems.· As well as contributing to declining soil fertility, such high sediment removal are causing problems with water supply by increasing reservoir siltation rates.
· First, there are few resources in developing countries to measure soil loss.· Such studies may yield exaggerated estimates of total soil loss.· The central issue here is the assumptions about future agricultural technology which are made when assessing tolerable soil losses.· Thus we do not intend to provide evidence here of frightening rates of soil loss and desertification throughout the world.· And again, since no erosion research data were collected, their effects on soil losses are unknown.
· Good soil structure might have been the key factor here, says Andrew Cottrell of Novartis.· Conventional physical and chemical methods can leave the soil structure unsuitable for cultivation.· Controversy has also surrounded the long-term effects of artificial fertilizer on the soil structure.· Mineralogical analysis and microscopic examination of soil structures is well advanced.· Being frost-hardy, they a-re often grazed off insitu through the winter, although this can cause damage to the soil structure.· Plants with a fibrous root system, creating plenty of organic matter, do most to improve the soil structure.· In addition they help conserve the existing soil structure by protecting the surface from the destructive force of winter rain.
· The soil type varied but much of it was peat based.· Kikuyu farmers had traditionally farmed several plots which were within easy walking distance but had different characteristics of altitude and soil type.· Anchorage strength is affected by the root plate spread, root depth, and the soil type and structure.· Matching Materials with Tasks Matching is carried out initially by grouping all the tasks with similarities in soil types and levels.· Only Leicestershire had the soil type and climate to allow a comfortable change of enterprise.· Like grapes, the quality and character of the beans is affected by climate and varying soil types in which they grow.· North and west of Bourg there were larger mixed farms with fairly good soil types.· The Soil Survey of Great Britain publishes maps and memoirs which provide information on soil types and conditions.
VERB· Rowans will grow in alkaline soils, but prefer heavier acid loams.· Hazelnuts will grow in ordinary soil and are a joy unless you have squirrels in the neighborhood.· Naked wheats are free-threshing and, unlike the hulled varieties preferred earlier, grow best on heavy soils.· Cabbage for fall and winter should be growing briskly in garden soil by the end of September.· Then it will be possible for crops to grow on soil where, earlier, no plant life could have been supported.· After all, this was top-quality grass, grown out of top-quality soil.· A green manure is a crop grown mainly to improve soil fertility.
· Aid, given on condition that it is spent on genuine development, can till the soil for home-grown growth.· Their time is constantly spent in tilling the soil, manuring it with ashes, raking and hoeing it with wooden hoes.· I used to work for my Uncle Demba cultivating rice, tilling the soil and sowing rice seeds.· Peasants tilled the soil and herded sheep.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► somebody’s native soilPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1[countable, uncountable] the top layer of the earth in which plants grow SYN earth: - He was not a man to show public affection on foreign soil.
- Will your grandchildren forgive us, Erich, if we surrender our armies on foreign soil without a fight?
- Medieval peasants were bound to the soil.
- After an initial few hundred feet across virgin land the railway will join the old trackbed of the long-disused Newbury Railway.
- Another road runs south, through the oilfields, and is constantly being extended into virgin forest.
- Cloud shadows scudded across immeasurable stands of virgin forests.
- In low range, it walks with authority across a field covered by a couple of feet of packed virgin snow.
- In response to the beard-shaving incident the Dwarfs chopped down entire virgin forests to spite the Elves.
- Some scientists believe that it can take up to a thousand years for virgin forest to be truly established.
- The trees here were all larger and growing much more vigorously than in the virgin forest above.
- Within an hour, Bucharest is buried under a blanket of virgin snow.
fertile soil (=good for growing crops) The soil here is very poor (=not good for growing crops). Roses grow well in a clay soil.► see thesaurus at ground2on British/French/foreign etc soil formal in Britain, France etc: The crime was committed on American soil.3[uncountable] a place or situation where something can develop: Eastern Europe provided fertile soil for political activists.4somebody’s native soil literary your own country5the soil literary farming as a job or way of life: They make their living from the soil.COLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + soilgood/rich/fertile (=good for growing plants)· The fertile soil produces delicious wines.poor (=not good for growing plants)· If the soil is poor, add manure or compost.deep· The soil near the river is rich and deep.thin (=not deep)· The thin soil is easily washed away.moist/dry· Keep the soil moist.· The soil was dry after three weeks without rain.light/sandy (=containing a lot of sand)· Some plants prefer sandy soils.heavy/clay (=containing a lot of clay)· The soil was too heavy to grow decent carrots.well-drained (=letting water pass through easily)· Plant the seedlings out in a warm, sunny position in well-drained soil.acid/alkaline· Blueberries need acid soil.garden soil· Try planting them in compost rather than garden soil.verbswork the soil (=prepare the soil to grow plants)· They worked the soil with hoes and forks.till the soil (=prepare the soil to grow crops)· Their time is spent in constantly tilling the soil.THESAURUSsoil the top layer of the earth that plants grow in: · Roses do best in well-drained, slightly acid soil.earth the brown substance that the ground is made up of: · Thousands of tons of earth were moved to build the dam.dirt American English loose dry earth: · a pile of loose dirt in the wheelbarrowdust a dry powder made up of extremely small bits of earth or sand: · A cloud of dust billowed out behind the tractor.mud wet soil that has become soft and sticky: · The dog came back covered in mud.soil1 nounsoil2 verb
soilsoil2 verb [transitive] WORD ORIGINsoil2
Origin:
1200-1300 Old French soiller, from soil ‘pigsty’, probably from Latin suile, from sus ‘pig’VERB TABLE
soil
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | soil |
| he, she, it | soils | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | soiled |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have soiled |
| he, she, it | has soiled | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had soiled |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will soil |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have soiled |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am soiling |
| he, she, it | is soiling | |
| you, we, they | are soiling | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was soiling |
| you, we, they | were soiling | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been soiling |
| he, she, it | has been soiling | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been soiling |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be soiling |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been soiling |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- soiled diapers
- His shirtfront was soiled with blood and his hair was wild.
- Many of the pages had been soiled by the old man's dirty fingers.
- The baby had soiled her diaper again.
- Fremont Elementary was old and soiled, waiting for terminal erosion like the bits of tire debris that trucks leave on freeways.
- He sometimes gets his shoes soiled in trying to stay out of the muck.
- Is the bark naturally as black as it is now, or has the dirt from the air soiled it?
- The man then soiled his bed. and Butler cleaned and changed him again.
- This would be soiled over to give a better finish than presently shown.
- What good is there in preventing it, in soiling your daughter's reputation when it could remain clear?
Longman Language Activatorto make something dirty
use this especially in negative statements: · Try not to get the floor dirty.· I don't want to get my new shoes dirty.
to make something dirty , especially clothes: · You can borrow my gloves, but please try not to dirty them.· As he stood on the pavement, muddy water splashed up and dirtied his trousers.
formal to make clothes, sheets, etc dirty, especially with sweat, waste from your body, or other liquids: · The baby had soiled her diaper again.· His shirtfront was soiled with blood and his hair was wild.· Many of the pages had been soiled by the old man's dirty fingers.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Heavy rain meant the pitch was waterlogged.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
(=soil from which water flows away quickly or slowly) This plant needs rich, well-drained soil.
This plant needs rich, well-drained soil.· Soil erosion is worse in areas where trees have been cut down.
· Where shall I put the dirty nappy?
· They analysed soil samples collected from streams.
(=for example, sandy soil or clay soil)· The plant thrives in a wide range of soil types.
Heavy rain meant the pitch was waterlogged.· Baldwin soiled his hands a little, but not excessively.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1formal to make something dirty, especially with waste from your body2not soil your hands to not do something because you consider it too unpleasant or dishonest: - Keep your drug money - I wouldn't want to soil my hands with it.
- After an initial few hundred feet across virgin land the railway will join the old trackbed of the long-disused Newbury Railway.
- Another road runs south, through the oilfields, and is constantly being extended into virgin forest.
- Cloud shadows scudded across immeasurable stands of virgin forests.
- In low range, it walks with authority across a field covered by a couple of feet of packed virgin snow.
- In response to the beard-shaving incident the Dwarfs chopped down entire virgin forests to spite the Elves.
- Some scientists believe that it can take up to a thousand years for virgin forest to be truly established.
- The trees here were all larger and growing much more vigorously than in the virgin forest above.
- Within an hour, Bucharest is buried under a blanket of virgin snow.
Keep your money – I wouldn’t soil my hands with it.—soiled adjective: soiled diapers