1. Material in the top layer of the surface of the earth in which plants can grow (especially with reference to its quality or use)
   "good agricultural soil";
   - land, ground
    
2. The part of the earth's surface consisting of humus and disintegrated rock
   "The gardener tested the soil pH before planting";
   - dirt
    
3. The geographical area under the jurisdiction of a sovereign state
   "American troops were stationed on Japanese soil";
   - territory
    
4. Anything regarded as making something unclean
   "He scrubbed the soil off his hands after working on the car";
   - dirt, filth, grime, stain, grease, grunge

1. Make soiled, filthy, or dirty
   "don't soil your clothes when you play outside!";
   - dirty, begrime, grime, colly [archaic], bemire [archaic]
    
2. Make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air
   "The silver was soiled by the long exposure to the air";
   - tarnish, stain, maculate [literary], sully, defile
    
3. (of someone's image or good reputation) damage, place under suspicion or cast doubt upon
   "the scandal soild his good reputation";
   - defile, sully, taint, cloud, stain, tarnish
    
4. Make dirty by defecation
   "he soiled his pants"

Derived forms: soils, soiling, soiled

Type of: alter, article, blob, blot, change, deflower, dirtiness, earth, fleck, geographic area, geographic region, geographical area, geographical region, ground, impair, mar, modify, object, physical object, pollute, spoil, spot, uncleanness, vitiate

Encyclopedia: Soil, Soil