Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1200-1300
Language: Old French
Origin: soiller, from soil 'pigsty', probably from Latin suile, from sus 'pig'

soil

2 verb
     
soil2 [transitive]
1 formal to make something dirty, especially with waste from your body
2

not soil your hands

to not do something because you consider it too unpleasant or dishonest:
Keep your money - I wouldn't soil my hands with it.
—soiled adjective:
soiled diapers
WORD FOCUS: dirty WORD FOCUS: dirty
similar words: filthy, grubby, grimy, mucky British English, muddy, greasy, dusty, soiled, contaminated, polluted

➔ See also dirty
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
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