Adjacent Words

Sole definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SOLE, n. [L. solea, solum; that which sets or is set or laid. The radical sense coincides with that of sill.]
1. The bottom of the foot; and by a figure, the foot itselft.
2. The bottom of the shoe; or the piece of lether which constitutes the bottom. The cliga was a military show with a very thick sole, tied above the instep.
3. The part of any thing that forms the bottom, and on which it stands upon the ground. Elms is proper for mills, soles for wheels, and pipes.
4. A marine fish of the genus Pleurinectes, so called probably because it keeps on or near the bottom of the sea. These fish abound on the British coast, and hence the name of sole bank, to the southward of Ireland. This fish sometimes grows to the weight of six or seven pounds.
5. In ship-building, a sort of lining, used to prevent the wearing of any thing.
6. A sort of horn under a horse's hoof.
SOLE, v.t. To furnish with a sole; as, to sole a shoe.
SOLE, a. [L. solus.]
1. Single; being or acting without another; individual; only. God is the sole creator and sovereign of the world.
2. In law, single; unmarried; as a femme sole.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: not divided or shared with others; "they have exclusive use of the machine"; "sole rights of publication" [syn: exclusive, sole]
2: being the only one; single and isolated from others; "the lone doctor in the entire county"; "a lonesome pine"; "an only child"; "the sole heir"; "the sole example"; "a solitary instance of cowardice"; "a solitary speck in the sky" [syn: lone, lonesome, only, sole, solitary] n
1: the underside of footwear or a golf club
2: lean flesh of any of several flatfish [syn: sole, fillet of sole]
3: the underside of the foot
4: right-eyed flatfish; many are valued as food; most common in warm seas especially European v
1: put a new sole on; "sole the shoes" [syn: sole, resole]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin solea sandal, a flatfish Date: 13th century any of various flatfishes (family Soleidae) having a small mouth, small or rudimentary fins, and small eyes placed close together and including important food fishes (as the European Dover sole); also any of various mostly market flatfishes (as lemon sole) of other families (as Pleuronectidae) II. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French sole, soele, from Latin solea sandal; akin to Latin solum base, ground, soil Date: 14th century 1. a. the undersurface of a foot b. the part of an item of footwear on which the sole rests and upon which the wearer treads 2. the usually flat or flattened bottom or lower part of something or the base on which something rests • soled adjective III. transitive verb (soled; soling) Date: circa 1570 1. to furnish with a sole <sole a shoe> 2. to place the sole of (a golf club) on the ground IV. adjective Etymology: Middle English, alone, from Anglo-French sul, soul, seul, from Latin solus Date: 14th century 1. not married — used chiefly of women 2. archaic having no companion ; solitary 3. a. having no sharer b. being the only one <she was her mother's sole support> 4. functioning independently and without assistance or interference <let conscience be the sole judge> 5. belonging exclusively or otherwise limited to one usually specified individual, unit, or group • soleness noun

Britannica Concise

Any of several flatfishes, especially about 100 species in the family Soleidae. Those found from Europe to Australia and Japan are marine; some New World species live in freshwater. The eyes are on the right side of the head. The Dover sole (Solea solea), found from estuaries to offshore waters in the E Atlantic and Mediterranean, grows to 20 in. (50 cm) long. The hogchoker (Trinectes maculatus), seldom over 10 in. (25 cm) long, is found in shallow coastal waters from New England to Central America and far inland in habitats associated with large rivers.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. & v. --n. 1 the under-surface of the foot. 2 the part of a shoe, sock, etc., corresponding to this (esp. excluding the heel). 3 the lower surface or base of an implement, e.g. a plough, golf-club head, etc. 4 the floor of a ship's cabin. --v.tr. provide (a shoe etc.) with a sole. Phrases and idioms: sole-plate the bedplate of an engine etc. Derivatives: -soled adj. (in comb.). Etymology: OF ult. f. L solea sandal, sill: cf. OE unrecorded solu or sola f. solum bottom, pavement, sole 2. n. any flatfish of the family Soleidae, esp. Solea solea used as food. Etymology: ME f. OF f. Prov. sola ult. f. L solea (as SOLE(1), named from its shape) 3. adj. 1 (attrib.) one and only; single, exclusive (the sole reason; has the sole right). 2 archaic or Law (esp. of a woman) unmarried. 3 archaic alone, unaccompanied. Derivatives: solely adv. Etymology: ME f. OF soule f. L sola fem. of solus alone

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sol Sol Sole Sole, n. [From hydrosol an aqueous colloidal solution, confused with G. sole, soole, salt water from which salt is obtained.] (Chem.) A fluid mixture of a colloid and a liquid; a liquid colloidal solution or suspension.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sole Sole, a. [L. solus, or OF. sol, F. seul (fr. L. solus; cf. L. sollus whole, entire. Cf. Desolate, Solemn, Solo, Sullen.] 1. Being or acting without another; single; individual; only. ``The sole son of my queen.'' --Shak. He, be sure . . . first and last will reign Sole king. --Milton. 2. (Law) Single; unmarried; as, a feme sole. Corporation sole. See the Note under Corporation. Syn: Single; individual; only; alone; solitary.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sole Sole, n. [AS. sole, fr. L. soolea (or rather an assumed L. sola), akin to solumround, soil, sole of the foot. Cf. Exile, Saloon, Soil earth, Sole the fish.] 1. The bottom of the foot; hence, also, rarely, the foot itself. The dove found no rest for the sole of her foot. --Gen. viii. 9. Hast wandered through the world now long a day, Yet ceasest not thy weary soles to lead. --Spenser. 2. The bottom of a shoe or boot, or the piece of leather which constitutes the bottom. The ``caliga'' was a military shoe, with a very thick sole, tied above the instep. --Arbuthnot. 3. The bottom or lower part of anything, or that on which anything rests in standing. Specifially: (a) (Agric.) The bottom of the body of a plow; -- called also slade; also, the bottom of a furrow. (b) (Far.) The horny substance under a horse's foot, which protects the more tender parts. (c) (Fort.) The bottom of an embrasure. (d) (Naut.) A piece of timber attached to the lower part of the rudder, to make it even with the false keel. --Totten. (e) (Mining) The seat or bottom of a mine; -- applied to horizontal veins or lodes. Sole leather, thick, strong, used for making the soles of boots and shoes, and for other purposes.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sole Sole, n. [F. sole, L. solea; -- so named from its flat shape. See Sole of the foot.] (Zo["o]l.) (a) Any one of several species of flatfishes of the genus Solea and allied genera of the family Soleid[ae], especially the common European species (Solea vulgaris), which is a valuable food fish. (b) Any one of several American flounders somewhat resembling the true sole in form or quality, as the California sole (Lepidopsetta bilineata), the long-finned sole (Glyptocephalus zachirus), and other species. Lemon, or French, sole (Zo["o]l.), a European species of sole (Solea pegusa). Smooth sole (Zo["o]l.), the megrim.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sole Sole, n. [F. sole, L. solea; -- so named from its flat shape. See Sole of the foot.] (Zo["o]l.) (a) Any one of several species of flatfishes of the genus Solea and allied genera of the family Soleid[ae], especially the common European species (Solea vulgaris), which is a valuable food fish. (b) Any one of several American flounders somewhat resembling the true sole in form or quality, as the California sole (Lepidopsetta bilineata), the long-finned sole (Glyptocephalus zachirus), and other species. Lemon, or French, sole (Zo["o]l.), a European species of sole (Solea pegusa). Smooth sole (Zo["o]l.), the megrim.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sole Sole, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Soled; p. pr. & vb. n. Soling.] To furnish with a sole; as, to sole a shoe.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(soles) 1. The sole thing or person of a particular type is the only one of that type. Their sole aim is to destabilize the Indian government. = only ADJ: ADJ n 2. If you have sole charge or ownership of something, you are the only person in charge of it or who owns it. Many women are left as the sole providers in families after their husband has died... Chief Hart had sole control over that fund. ADJ: ADJ n 3. The sole of your foot or of a shoe or sock is the underneath surface of it. ...shoes with rubber soles... He had burned the sole of his foot. N-COUNT: usu with supp 4. A sole is a kind of flat fish that you can eat. N-COUNT • Sole is this fish eaten as food.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Single, only, individual, unique, alone, solitary, one.

Moby Thesaurus

a certain, absolute, alone, an, any, any one, arch, atomic, azygous, bachelorlike, base, baseboard, basement, celibate, chassis, clubfoot, dado, digit, dog, either, exclusive, extremity, fetlock, first and last, foot, footing, forefoot, forepaw, foundation, frame, harefoot, heel, hoof, husbandless, impair, individual, indivisible, instep, integral, irreducible, keel, lone, maiden, maidenly, monadic, monistic, mopboard, nadir, odd, old-maidish, one, one and only, only, only-begotten, pad, particular, pastern, patte, paw, pedal extremity, pedes, personal, pes, pied, pug, separate, shoemold, simple, single, singular, solid, solitary, solo, spinsterish, spinsterlike, spinsterly, splayfoot, spouseless, toe, tootsy, trotter, unanalyzable, underneath, underside, undivided, unexampled, ungula, uniform, unique, unitary, unmarried, unpaired, unrepeatable, unrepeated, unshared, unwed, unwedded, virgin, virginal, wainscot, whole