Forms: α. 5–7 soyle, 6 soyl(l; 5–7 soile, 6– soil, 7– dial. sile. β. 5 soule. [Partly a. OF. *soille, souille (mod.F. souille, also dial. soille) fem., or soil, souil, etc. (mod. dial. souil, soui) masc., verbal sbs. from souiller SOIL v.1; in part directly from the vb.]
I. † 1. A miry or muddy place used by a wild boar for wallowing in. Obs.
So F. souille; the phrase ‘to take soil’ corresponds to F. prendre souille. The forms soueil and seulg occur in OF. in the same sense, and Cotgrave gives soil, soeil, sueil.
c. 1410. Master of Game (MS. Digby 182), v. Whan men hunteth þe boore, communlich þei go to þe soyle and soileth hem in þe drytte. And if þei be hurte, þe soile is hir medicyne.
1576. Turberv., Venerie, 154. At his departure from the soyl, you may perceiue it where he hath gone…: for he goeth out of the soyle all myerie and dyrtie.
1600. Surflet, Countrie Farme, VII. xxvii. 853. The soile of the wilde bore being long, large, and great, doth note and argue the bore to bee great.
1611. Cotgr., Se souiller (of a swine) to take soyle, or wallow in the mire. Ibid., Sueil,… the soyle of a wild Bore; the mire wherein hee commonly walloweth.
2. A pool or stretch of water, used as a refuge by a hunted deer or other animal. Freq. in the phr. † to go, or come, to soil; to take († the) soil.
(a) c. 1410. Master of Game (MS. Digby 182), xxxiii. When he … seeth þat betynge vppe þe ryueres and brokes,… nor goynge to soyle,… ne may not helpe.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, XVIII. xxi. 764. Whan the hynde came to the welle, for hete she wente to soyle.
c. 1535. Fisher, Wks. (E.E.T.S.), 441. As an harte, whan he is chased,… coueteth to come vnto the soile.
1576. Turberv., Venerie, 241. When an Hart or any Deare is forced to the water, we say he goeth to the Soyle.
1861. H. Kingsley, Ravenshoe, xxvi. Looking round him as a buck or stag looks when run to soil.
(b) 1572. J. Jones, Bathes Buckstone, 1 b. It is not unlikely that the Stagges or buckes wounded, would take soyle ther.
1576. Turberv., Venerie, 148. There are some lustie yong houndes which will neuer giue ouer a Goate nor suffer him to take Soyle.
1613. W. Browne, Brit. Past., I. iv. Fida went … to seeke the Hinde; And found her taking soyle within a flood.
1735. Somerville, Chase, III. 546. He … Then takes the Soil, and plunges in the Flood Precipitant.
1810. Sporting Mag., XXXV. 87. Previously to his taking soil, he lay down under the same tree.
1844. W. H. Maxwell, Wanderings in Highl. & Isl., I. iii. 97. Last Tuesday a fox took soil; I swam the river, got the brush [etc.].
1885. Field, 4 April, 427/1. The hounds working up to their deer, he … crossed … to the brook, where he took soil.
(c) 1486. Bk. St. Albans, E vij b. At that oder side of the water iff he vp sterte, Then shall ye call hit the soule of the hert.
1600. Fairfax, Tasso, VI. cix. A chased hinde her course doth bend To seeke by soile to finde some ease or good.
1612. Drayton, Poly-olb., xiii. 137. The noble, stately deer … Doth beat the brooks and ponds for sweet refreshing soil.
1633. P. Fletcher, Poet. Misc., 86. As an hart with sweat and bloud embrued … thirsts in the soil to be.
1674. N. Cox, Gentl. Recreat. (1677), I. 78. The last Refuge of a Hart sorely hunted is the Water (which, according to Art, is termed the Soil).
† b. In fig. use. Obs.
1592. Lyly, Midas, IV. iii. There was a boy leasht on the single, because when he was imbost, he tooke soyle.
1614. B. Jonson, Bart. Fair, I. iii. (1904), 15. O Sir, ha’ you tane soyle, here? it’s well, a man may reach you, after 3 houres running, yet!
1647. N. Bacon, Disc. Govt. Eng., lix. (1651), 178. The King … singles out the Archbishop, and hunts him to soil at Rome.
II. 3. Staining or soiling; the fact of being soiled or stained; a stain or discoloring mark.
1501. Bury Wills (Camden), 83. A cloth bougth to saue the sayd tabernacle from soyle.
1572. in Feuillerat, Revels Q. Eliz. (1908), 409. By the fowlnes bothe of the weye and wether and soyll of the wereres.
1602. Marston, Antonio’s Rev., I. ii. B j b. Madam, twere best you tooke some lodging vp, And lay in priuate till the soile of griefe Were cleard your cheeke.
1679. C. Nesse, Antichrist, Ded. As a dark soil in a well drawn picture.
1726. Leoni, Alberti’s Archit., I. 35. That is always best which,… laid upon a white Cloth, makes the least Soil.
1793. Smeaton, Edystone L., § 316, note. The burning of the lamps was found to produce a greater Soil upon the inside of the glasses, than candles.
1816. Jane Taylor, Contrib. by Q. Q. (1824), I. 32–3. It [this dress] … is less liable to take a soil than any other material.
1885. Harper’s Mag., Jan., 318/2. The very garments of a Quaker seem incapable of receiving a soil.
b. spec. (See quot.)
1843. Holtzapffel, Turning, I. 445. Lead works are first smeared or soiled around the intended joints, with a mixture of size and lamp-black, called soil.
4. fig. Moral stain or tarnish.
Frequent from c. 1600 to 1650. An example of OF. souille in a similar use is given by Godefroy.
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., IV. v. 190. For all the soyle of the Atchieuement goes With me, into the Earth.
1602. Marston, Antonio’s Rev., II. iii. D 4. If the least soyle of lust smeers my pure loue.
1641. Milton, Reform., II. Wks. 1851, III. 43–4. With him shee found the purest, and quietest retreat, as being most remote from soile, and disturbance.
1756. Johnson, in Boswell (Oxf. ed.), I. 203. To wear off by meditation any worldly soil contracted in the week.
1770. Foote, Lame Lover, III. Wks. 1799, II. 91. There is not a soul … that can lay the least soil, the least spot, on my virtue.
1858. Hawthorne, Fr. & It. Note-bks., II. 183. Disburdening herself of the soil of worldly frailties, and receiving absolution.
1888. Mrs. Oliphant, Joyce, I. 174. He was good as an angel or a child—there was no soil in him.
III. † 5. Sexual intercourse. Obs.
In quot. 1603 perh. a misuse of SOIL sb.4: cf. Markham Caval. (1607) I. vi. 37 where ‘soyle and couering’ are mentioned together.
1555. W. Watreman, Fardle Facions, II. xi. 251. Specially, if he haue been late at the soile with a woman.
1603. Florio, Montaigne, II. xv. (1632), 346. I have … put forth an old stalion to soile [F. au haras], who before did no sooner see or smell a Mare [etc.].
IV. 6. Filth; dirty or refuse matter. Also fig.
1608. A. Willet, Hexapla Exod., 626. The lampes were … clensed from the soile … gathered in the night.
1611. J. Davies (Heref.), Wit’s Pilgr. Wks. (Grosart), II. 32/2. Wee should not then lie soaking in shames Soile.
1688. Bunyan, Water of Life, Wks. 1855, III. 554. Whatever it be that this water of life washeth not, it is soil and given to the curse.
1674. Ray, S. & E. C. Words, Sile: filth. [Hence in Bailey, Grose, etc.]
1736. Pegge, Kenticisms (E. D. S.), 48. Soil, filth and dirt in corn; as, the seeds of several sorts of weeds, and the like.
7. Filth and other matter usually carried off by drains; sewage.
1601. R. Johnson, Kingd. & Commw. (1603), 69. Strabo writeth that the Romans excelleth the Grecians in clenlinesse of their citties by reason of their channels to conuay away the soyle.
1730. A. Gordon, Maffei’s Amphith., 360. The Use of these Conduits was … to receive and discharge the Urine and other Soil.
1778. England’s Gazetteer (ed. 2), s.v. Bristol, Gutters that are made under ground for carrying off the soil into the rivers.
1842. Gwilt, Encycl. Archit., § 2215. Those [pipes] … for carrying away the soil from a water closet.
1868. A. Dawson, Rambling Recoll., 6. The domestic soil was discharged via the window.
8. Ordure, excrement; the dung of animals used as a compost; manure. Cf. also NIGHT-SOIL.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 106. A good woodman must not stick to gather up the deers excrement or soil.
a. 1639. W. Whateley, Prototypes, I. iv. (1640), 30. The profitable sheepe is … beneficial … also for her soyle.
1670. J. Smith, Eng. Improv. Reviv’d, 12. Great Rains will wash down the Dung or soyl therefrom, and much enrich those grounds it runs into.
1799. J. Robertson, Agric. Perth, 340. To extirpate the heath, by means of water and the droping soil of cattle, especially of sheep.
1817. [R. D. C. Brown], Lintoun Green, II. xli. 32. To his waist … ’Midst muck and soil.
1823. E. Moor, Suffolk Words, 350. Sile. Soil—night soil.
1848. Gavin, Sanitary Ramb., 12. The soil, itself, is removed from these [privy-] holes, and is dug into the ground to promote its fertility.
b. (See quots.)
1879. Good Words, 740/1. Here are carts laden with sifted ‘soil,’ so much like gunpowder…. The fine dust or ‘soil’ is used for manure.
1883. N. & Q., 6th Ser. VII. 178/2. Soil: this term is used for the fine ashes screened out from the breeze.
9. attrib. and Comb., as soil-carrier, -hole, -man; soil-pipe, a sewage or waste-water pipe; soil-tank (see quot. 1851).
1737. J. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit., II. 224. King’s Privy-kitchen: Vincent Bene, Soil Carrier.
1810. Hull Improv. Act, 50. No scavenger or dustman, soilman or other person.
1825. Beverley Lighting Act, ii. 21. Regulations as to privies and soil-holes.
1833. Loudon, Encycl. Archit., § 490. A basin with a soil pipe.
1851. Mayhew, Lond. Labour (1864), II. 495/2. ‘Soil-tanks’ were the filth receptacles of the larger houses, and sometimes works of solid masonry.
1879. St. George’s Hosp. Rep., IX. 602. She was living in a house where the soil-pipe of the water-closet was defective.
