Also 6 soilly, 7 soylie. [f. SOIL sb.3 or v.1]
† 1. Apt to soil or stain. Obs.
1575. Laneham, Lett. (1871), 40. A substauns … nether so … brittl to manure az stone, nor yet so soily in vse. Ibid., 50. Fayr alleyz … with sand, not light or to soft, or soilly by dust, but … pleasaunt too walk on.
1605. Willet, Hexapla in Gen., 215. The goodly outward rine or skinne onely doeth keepe in the filthie soylie embers.
2. Of the nature or character of soil or tarnish.
1631. Fuller, Joseph’s Coat, David’s Sin, xxxii. So spots of sinne the writer’s soule did staine, Whose soylie tincture did therein remaine. Ibid., David’s Repentance, iv. I desire His soylie sinnes with deluges to scoure.
3. Soiled, stained, dirty.
1631. W. B., Touchstone Gold & Silver Wares, 36. When your Touch-stone is … foul or soily, it may be taken off, by wetting it.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa, VI. 151. Methinks … you are a little soily, to what we have seen you.
1771. T. Hull, Sir W. Harrington (1797), III. 214. White sprigg’d muslin,… now so soily, and hung in such a manner,… as made her indeed a strange figure.
1890. Pall Mall Gaz., 13 Feb., 2/1. A case like a very large double coffin, in which are packed, like figs in a box, three or four damp, hot, and soily figures.
