Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of various chiefly marine flatfishes of the family Soleidae, having both eyes on the right side of the body, and including food fishes such as the Dover sole of the Atlantic Ocean.
  • noun Any of various other flatfishes, especially certain flounders.
  • noun The underside of the foot.
  • noun The underside of a shoe or boot, often excluding the heel.
  • noun The part on which something else rests while in a vertical position, especially.
  • noun The bottom surface of a plow.
  • noun The bottom surface of the head of a golf club.
  • transitive verb To furnish (a shoe or boot) with a sole.
  • transitive verb To put the sole of (a golf club) on the ground, as in preparing to make a stroke.
  • adjective Being the only one.
  • adjective Of or relating to only one individual or group; exclusive.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To pull by the ears; pull about; haul; lug.
  • noun Same as sol.
  • Alone; by itself; singly.
  • noun A name given to various Australian fishes: in Sydney to Synaptura nigra; in Melbourne to Rhombosolea bassensis; in New Zealand to Rhombosolea monopus (called the flounder in Tasmania) and Peltorhamphus novæ-zelandiæ; and in Tasmania to Ammotretis restrains, of the family Pleuronectidæ.
  • noun The bottom or under side of the foot; technically, the planta, corresponding to the palm of the hand.
  • noun The foot.
  • noun That part of a shoe or boot which comes under the sole of the foot, and upon which the wearer treads.
  • noun The part of anything that forms the bottom, and on which it stands upon the ground; the bottom or lower part of anything.
  • noun A flat surface like the sole of the foot.
  • noun A wooden band or yoke put around the neck of an ox or a cow in a stall.
  • noun A pond.
  • Only; alone in its kind; being or acting without another; single; unique; individual: as, God is the sole creator and sovereign of the world.
  • Alone; unaccompanied; solitary.
  • Mere.
  • In law, single; unmarried; not having a spouse: as, a feme sole. See feme.
  • In golf, to place the sole of (a club) on the ground immediately behind the ball in preparing for a shot.
  • noun In golf, the flat, bottom part of a club which rests on the ground.
  • noun The inner cylindrical surface of a water-wheel which forms the bottoms of the buckets on the periphery. See sole-plate, 2.
  • To furnish with a sole, as a shoe or boot; put a new sole on. Compare half-sole, v. t.
  • noun In ichthyology, a flatfish of the family Solcidæ, and especially of the genus Solea; a soleid or sole-fish.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The bottom of the foot; hence, also, rarely, the foot itself.
  • noun The bottom of a shoe or boot, or the piece of leather which constitutes the bottom.
  • noun The bottom or lower part of anything, or that on which anything rests in standing.
  • noun (Agric.) The bottom of the body of a plow; -- called also slade; also, the bottom of a furrow.
  • noun (Far.) The horny substance under a horse's foot, which protects the more tender parts.
  • noun (Fort.) The bottom of an embrasure.
  • noun (Naut.) A piece of timber attached to the lower part of the rudder, to make it even with the false keel.
  • noun (Mining) The seat or bottom of a mine; -- applied to horizontal veins or lodes.
  • noun thick, strong, used for making the soles of boots and shoes, and for other purposes.
  • noun Any one of several species of flatfishes of the genus Solea and allied genera of the family Soleidæ, especially the common European species (Solea vulgaris), which is a valuable food fish.
  • noun 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.
  • noun (Zoöl.) a European species of sole (Solea pegusa).
  • noun (Zoöl.) the megrim.
  • transitive verb To furnish with a sole.
  • adjective Being or acting without another; single; individual; only.
  • adjective (Law) Single; unmarried.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin solea, sandal, flatfish (from its shape); see sole.]

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin solea, sandal, from solum, bottom, sole of the foot.]

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, alone, from Old French sol, from Latin sōlus; see s(w)e- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English sole, soule, from Old French sol, soul ("alone"), from Latin sōlus ("alone, single, solitary, lonely"), of unknown origin. Perhaps related to Old Latin sollus ("whole, complete"), from Proto-Indo-European *solw-, *salw-, *slōw- (“safe, healthy”). More at save.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English sole, soole, from Old English sole, solu ("shoe, sandal, sole"), from Proto-Germanic *sulô, *suljō (“sandal, shoe, sole”), from Latin solea ("sandal, bottom of the shoe"), from Proto-Indo-European *swol- (“sole”). Cognate with Dutch zool ("sole, tread"), German Sohle ("sole, insole, bottom, floor"), Danish sål ("sole"), Icelandic sóli ("sole, outsole"), Gothic 𐍃𐌿𐌻𐌾𐌰 (sulja, "sandal"). Related to Latin solum ("bottom, ground, soil"). More at soil.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English, from Old English sol ("mire, miry place"), from Proto-Germanic *sulan (“mire, wallow, mud”), from Proto-Indo-European *sūl- (“thick liquid”). Cognate with Eastern Frisian soal ("ditch"), Dutch sol ("water and mud filled pit"), German Suhle ("mire, wallow"), Norwegian saula, søyla ("mud puddle"). More at soil.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English sole, soole, from Old English sāl ("a rope, cord, line, bond, rein, door-hinge, necklace, collar"), from Proto-Germanic *sailan, *sailaz (“rope, cable”), *sailō (“noose, rein, bondage”), from Proto-Indo-European *sey- (“to tie to, tie together”). Cognate with Scots sale, saile ("halter, collar"), Dutch zeel ("rope, cord, strap"), German Seil ("rope, cable, wire"), Icelandic seil ("a string, line"). Non-Germanic cognate include Albanian dell ("sinew, vein").

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From earlier sowle ("to pull by the ear"). Origin unknown. Perhaps from sow (“female pig”) +‎ -le, as in the phrase "take a sow by the wrong ear", or from Middle English sole ("rope"). See above.

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Examples

  • And all the real and personal estate of said Myra Bradwell shall be liable for the debts of said company, contracted while she is a stockholder therein, and all stock of said company owned by her, and the earnings thereof, shall be her sole and separate property, the same as if she were an unmarried woman; and she shall have the same right to hold any office or offices in said company, or transact any of its business that a _feme sole_ would have.

    History of Woman Suffrage, Volume II Matilda Joslyn Gage 1862

  • This week seven readers have offered their satirical definitions for the term sole proprietorship, and now it's time for you to vote for best definition.

    LJWorld.com stories: News 2009

  • Pathetic that in a democracy the one who raises the most money and sells his or her sole is the one seens as the victor.

    Senate GOP edges out Dems in fundraising 2009

  • Most successfully, indeed, had she instilled into the youthful breast of Indiana, a wondering curiosity to see the place which she described as the sole residence of elegance and fashion, and an eager impatience to exhibit there a person which she was assured would meet with universal homage.

    Camilla 2008

  • Or many small businesses are what they call sole proprietorships.

    CNN Transcript Jul 9, 2004 2004

  • Most small business are what they call sole proprietors or limited partnerships, and so they pay tax like an individual pays tax.

    CNN Transcript Jul 15, 2002 2002

  • He told reporters Iraq wished to play "an active role in supporting Arab League efforts" on Syria which he described as the "sole and appropriate framework" to solve the crisis in Syria.

    Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph Telegraph Staff 2011

  • He told reporters Iraq wished to play "an active role in supporting Arab League efforts" on Syria, which he described as the "sole and appropriate framework" to solve the crisis in Syria.

    SFGate: Don Asmussen: Bad Reporter Associated Press 2011

  • He told reporters Iraq wished to play "an active role in supporting Arab League efforts" on Syria which he described as the "sole and appropriate framework" to solve the crisis in Syria.

    SFGate: Don Asmussen: Bad Reporter By ZEINA KARAM 2011

  • He told reporters Iraq wished to play "an active role in supporting Arab League efforts" on Syria which he described as the "sole and appropriate framework" to solve the crisis in Syria.

    Yahoo! News: Business - Opinion 2011

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