Webster
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Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Sole

Sole, n. [F. sole, L. solea; — so named from its flat shape. See Sole of the foot.] (Zoöl.) (a) 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. (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 (Zoöl.), a European species of sole (Solea pegusa). — Smooth sole (Zoöl.), the megrim.

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.

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

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 Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Noah Porter, editor (Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913). Public domain. Text as transcribed by MICRA, Inc., from Project Gutenberg. Changed for Deep Dive Bible: Greek, which our source spelled in Latin letters, set in Greek letters; entries of one spelling merged into one article; Greek words our source left out (shown as “?”), read from the 1898 printing, from the same plates (the Library of Congress’s copy), where the place could be found with certainty. Of the others, 1,362 (a word or a single letter each) were inferred by AI from the context by the dictionary’s own rules and are marked with a wavy underline (tap or point at one to see the note); the rest, which could not be inferred with confidence, are left as “?”.