Dwelling or living in soils that are cultivated.

Living on or in the soil.

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.

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.

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 and is a substantial part of the life span and is generally restricted to fresh water or inland waters).

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.

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.

Any soil consisting primarily of minerals: Mineral soils can contain sand, silt and clay materials rather than organic matter (composting and mulching).

Human excrement collected from non-flushable toilets or cesspools when it is dark outside: Night soil is especially use as fertilizer.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 soils located in various parts of the world, or even in his own country.

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.

Soil water: Soil moisture is water that is stored in, or at, the continental surface and subject to evaporation.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A taxonomic unit in soil science: Soil types are those that share a specific set of accurately defined properties for a certain soil type.

Water in the zone of aeration immediately below the ground surface.

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.

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.