You searched for: “soil
agricole (verb), agricoles; agricoled; agricoling: soil
Dwelling or living in soils that are cultivated.
This entry is located in the following unit: -cola, -colas; -cole; -colent; -colid; -coline; -colous (page 2)
humicole (verb), humicoles; humicoled; humicoling: soil
Living on or in the soil.
This entry is located in the following units: -cola, -colas; -cole; -colent; -colid; -coline; -colous (page 10) humus, hum- (page 1)
soil (s) (noun), soils (pl)
1. The portion of the earth's surface consisting of disintegrated rock and humus: Some plants cannot develop in poorly drained soils, but wither, droop, shrivel, and die.
2. All loose, unconsolidated, weathered, or otherwise altered surface material lying on the ground above bedrock: Specifically, soil is a natural accumulation of organic matter and inorganic rock material that is capable of supporting the growth of vegetation.
3. A particular kind of earth: Soil can also be sandy soil.
4. The ground when producing vegetation or as cultivated for its crops: Sam used fertile soil for his garden.
5. The biologically active, porous medium that has developed in the uppermost layer of the earth's crust: Soil is one of the principal substrata of life on the planet Earth, serving as a reservoir of water and nutrients as a medium for the filtration and breakdown of injurious wastes, and as a participant in the cycling of carbon and other elements through the global ecosystem.

Soil has evolved through weathering processes driven by biological, climatic, geologic, and topographic influences.
6. A country, land, or region: The criminal act was committed on American soil.
7. The ground or earth: Jeff, the farmer, was tilling their soil when it started to rain.
8. Any place or condition providing the opportunity for growth or development: Some people believe that poverty provides the soil for crime and social instability.

This entry is located in the following unit: soil- + (page 1)
soil, soil
soil (SOIL) (noun)
The top layer of the earth in which plants grow: These plants will grow very well in moist soil.

"The soil around here is very sandy."

soil (SOIL) (verb)
To make something dirty or unclean: Sally said, "Yes, she did soil her dress when she spilled the milk shake in her lap."

If anyone works in garden soil, then that person should expect to soil the clothing that is being worn.

More possibly related word entries
Units related to: “soil
(Greek: land, soil, field, fields; earth; wild, as one who lives in the fields; wildness; savage, savageness)
(Greek: earth, of the earth, soil, dirt)
(Greek: soil)
(Greek: earth, land, soil; world; Gaia (Greek), Gaea (Latin), "earth goddess")
(Latin: a round body, a ball; round, a sphere; the earth; "sphere" came from Latin globus, "round mass, sphere"; related to gleba, "clod, soil, land". Sense of "planet earth," or a three-dimensional map of it, appeared first in 1553)
(Latin: earth, ground, soil)
(Greek: pedon, ground, soil, earth)
(Latin: base, ground, soil, bottom; the lowest part of something; sole of the foot or a shoe)
(Latin: bottom; under surface; earth, dirt)
Word Entries containing the term: “soil
alluvial soil (s) (noun), alluvial soils (pl)
The earth developed on flood plains and deltas, having only the characteristics of the clay, silt or gravel carried by rushing streams and deposited where the streams slow down: The alluvial soils leave a fine-grained earth material consisting of very tiny particles of sand and clay, all of which are deposited by water flowing over flood plains or into river beds.

Keith and the other farmers near the mouth of the river found that the alluvial soils were much more fertile than the land farther away from the river.

This entry is located in the following unit: luto-, lut-, luv-, lu- (page 2)
alluvial soil (s)  (noun), alluvial soils (pl)
Fine-grained fertile earth deposited by water flowing over flood plains or in river beds: Keith and the other farmers near the mouth of the river found that the alluvial soils were much more fertile than the land farther away from the river.

Alluvial soil is rich and fertile earth and can be found in aquatic communities (living in or on water for all or a substantial part of the life span and is generally restricted to fresh water or inland waters).

This entry is located in the following units: -al; -ial, -eal (page 8) soil- + (page 1)
desert soil (s)  (noun), desert soils (pl)
A type of earth that develops in arid, or dry, climates: Desert soils develop under sparse shrub vegetation in warm to cool arid climates with a light-colored surface soil usually underlain by calcareous material and a hardpan layer.

Desert soil is a soil variety typically found in arid climates, usually with little leaching and minimal humus content.

Desert soil is referred to as an "aridisol" in the nomenclature of the United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service.

This entry is located in the following unit: soil- + (page 1)
lithosol, skeletal soil
A group of azonal soils without pronounced horisons, consisting of recently weathered rock fragments that develop on steep slopes, and characterized by shallow depths to bedrock.
This entry is located in the following unit: litho-, lith-, -lith, -lithic, -lite, -liths, -lites (page 11)
mineral soil (s)  (noun), mineral soils (pl)
Any soil consisting primarily of minerals: Mineral soils can contain sand, silt and clay materials rather than organic matter (composting and mulching).
This entry is located in the following unit: soil- + (page 1)
night soil (s)  (noun), night soils (pl)
Human excrement collected from non-flushable toilets or cesspools when it is dark outside: Night soil is especially use as fertilizer.
This entry is located in the following unit: soil- + (page 1)
phytomorphic soil (s)  (noun), phytomorphic soils (pl)
Well-drained soil which has developed under the dominant influence of the natural vegetation characteristic of a region; zonal soils of an area: When Jane planned her garden, she wanted to have phytomorphic soil to improve the earth for the best results of her vegetables.
relict soil (s) (noun), relict soils (pl)
Earth formed on a pre-existing landscape but which was not subsequently buried under younger sediments: It should be taken into account that relict soils may represent a wide range of time periods.

This entry is located in the following units: linqu-, lict- (page 1) soil- + (page 1)
saline-alkali soil, salina-alkali soil (s)  (noun); saline-alkali soils; salina-alkali soils (pl)
Earth that is unusable for agricultural purposes: Saline-alkali soil contains more than 15% exchangeable sodium, has a high content of soluble salts, and a pH of less that 9.5.
This entry is located in the following units: sal-, sali- (page 2) soil- + (page 1)
soil amendment (s)  (noun), soil amendments (pl)
In agronomy, the substances added to the soil to improve plant growth; soil improvement; soil conditioner: Sam was informed that a soil amendment would be useful for improving the soil's physical qualities, like its fertility.
This entry is located in the following unit: soil- + (page 1)
soil association, soil complex (s) (noun); soil associations; soil complexes (pl)
A mapping unit used in detailed soil surveys: A soil complex consists of two or more distinguishable soils in a given geographic area which are grouped together on the basis of their areal (area) distribution.
This entry is located in the following unit: soil- + (page 1)
soil atmosphere, soil air (s)  (noun), soil atmospheres (pl)
In geology, The air occupying the pore or open spaces in soil: Soil atmosphere can be a gas located in the pores or cavities in the soil or, in other words, in the zone of aeration.
This entry is located in the following units: soil- + (page 1) sphero-, spher-, -sphere- (page 11)
soil carbon (s)  (noun) (no pl)
Carbon contained in the solid surface layer of the Earth: The amount of soil carbon in the ground is a function of the historic vegetative cover and productivity, which in turn is influenced by climatic variables.

This entry is located in the following unit: soil- + (page 1)
soil conservation, soil management (s) (noun); soil conservations; soil managements (pl)o
Any of various methods of land management that seek to protect the soil from erosion and chemical decay, so as to maintain its quality: The technique of strip cropping (alternating different crops) is one method of soil conservation because it is believed to provide almost total resistance to erosion.

This entry is located in the following units: serv-, -serve (page 4) soil- + (page 1)
soil ecology (s)  (noun) (no pl)
The study of the relationship between the activities of soil organisms and the overall soil environment: Part of Jim's universities studies in biology included soil ecology in which he learned about the interactions between organisms and physical and chemical substances.
This entry is located in the following units: -ology, -logy, -ologist, -logist (page 70) soil- + (page 1)
soil erosion (s)  (noun), soil erosions (pl)
In geology, the detachment and transportation of topsoil by the action of wind and running water: At the seashore, Jeny noticed how much of the coastal line was influenced by soil erosion because, over time, the shoreline had been eaten away by the waves of the sea.
This entry is located in the following unit: soil- + (page 1)
soil geography (s) (noun), soil geographies (pl)
In physical geography, the science dealing with the geographical distribution of various soil types: In his book about soil geography he was reading for class, Thomas found out that there were many different kinds of soil located in various parts of the world, or even in his own country.
This entry is located in the following units: geo-, ge- + (page 23) soil- + (page 2)
soil microbiology (s) (noun) (no pl)
The branch of microbiology that deals with micro-organisms found in the earth: Soil microbiology includes the functions of the tiny soil creatures, and their effects on the growth and maintenance of plant life.
This entry is located in the following units: -ology, -logy, -ologist, -logist (page 70) soil- + (page 2)
soil moisture (s) (noun), soil moistures (pl)
Soil water: Soil moisture is water that is stored in, or at, the continental surface and subject to evaporation.
This entry is located in the following unit: soil- + (page 2)
soil profile (s) (noun), soil profiles (pl)
A section through the soil showing the different layers from the surface soil to underlying bedrock: Jack read about soil profile for his class and found out that it referred to the various strata existing from the top of the ground to the bottom rock.
This entry is located in the following unit: soil- + (page 2)
soil quality (s) (noun), soil qualities (pl)
The ability of a given area or type of soil to provide functions of value to humans: The soil quality of a piece of land determines the amount of biomass production, water filtration, biodegradation of pollutants, or soil carbon sequestration (technologies that can separate and store carbon dioxide in reservoirs of earth other than in the atmosphere).
This entry is located in the following unit: soil- + (page 2)
soil science (s) (noun) (no pl)
The scientific study of the formation, properties, distribution, and classification of soil as a natural resource: Part of his geology classes included a seminar on soil science which involved many different aspects of earth.
soil structure (s) (noun), soil structures (pl)
The extent to which soil aggregates are developed, and their sizes and shapes: Soil structure comprises the grouping or order of soil elements in different combinations with various forms, sizes, and degrees of attachments to each other.
This entry is located in the following units: soil- + (page 2) stru-, struct-, -structure, -struction, -structive (page 10)
soil survey (s) (noun), soil surveys (pl)
A field and laboratory examination of soil: A soil survey includess a systematic study of the description, classification, and mapping of soils in a given area.
This entry is located in the following units: soil- + (page 2) super-, supra-, sur- (page 2)
soil texture (s) (noun), soil textures (pl)
The distribution of particles or elements in a mass of soil: Soil texture depends on the size of the mineral particles which also control aeration and drainage.
This entry is located in the following units: soil- + (page 2) text-, tex- (page 1)
soil thermograph (s) (noun), soil thermographs (pl)
An instrument that creates a photographic representation of the heat of a designated underground area: A soil thermograph consists of a sensing element that transmits data to a remote recording device.

soil thermometer, earth thermometer (s) (noun); soil thermometers; earth thermometers (pl)
An apparatus suited to take the temperatures of the soil: A soil thermometer is an instrument, commonly a mercury-in-glass thermometer, that is used to measure the temperature of soils at a great depth.
soil type (s) (noun), soil types (pl)
A taxonomic unit in soil science: Soil types are those that share a specific set of accurately defined properties for a certain soil type.
This entry is located in the following units: soil- + (page 2) typo-, typ-, -type (page 4)
soil water
Water in the zone of aeration immediately below the ground surface.
This entry is located in the following unit: soil- + (page 2)
soil (verb) soils; soiled; soiling
1. To make something dirty: The children were always soiling their clothes when they went out into the yard to play.

The farmer soiled his hands and pants with oil and grease while he was repairing the tractor motor.

2. To become dirty: Mary was told that the fabric would soil easily and that the other material would not soil nearly as much.
This entry is located in the following unit: soil- + (page 2)
solum, true soil (s) (noun); sola, solums; true soils (pl);
The upper layer of a soil profile where the formation of new soil takes place: The solum is where most plant roots and soil animals are found.

The sola, or the top layers of the soil profiles, are affected by climate and vegetation, especially plant roots.

This entry is located in the following units: soil- + (page 3) sol-, -sol + (page 6)