Etymology : Middle English soule, from Old English sAwol; akin to Old High German sEula soul
Pronunciation : sOl
Function : noun
Date : before 12th century
1. spiritual part of a human being that is separate from the physical body; spirit; essence, core; personification; human being; emotion; personification; soul music. soul\soul\ , a. sole. [obs.]soul \soul\ , a. sole. [obs.]soul \soul\, v. i. [f. soûler to satiate. see:
soil to feed.] to afford suitable sustenance. [obs.]soul \soul\, n. [oe. soule, saule, as. sāwel, sāwl; akin to ofries. s le, os. s ola, d. ziel, g. seele, ohg. s la, s ula, icel. sāla, sw. sj?l, dan. si?l, goth. saiwala; of uncertain origin, perhaps akin to l. saeculum a lifetime, age (cf. secular.)].
2. the spiritual, rational, and immortal part in man; that part of man which enables him to think, and which renders him a subject of moral government; -- sometimes, in distinction from the higher nature, or spirit, of man, the so-called animal soul, that is, the seat of life, the sensitive affections and phantasy, exclusive of the voluntary and rational powers; -- sometimes, in distinction from the mind, the moral and emotional part of man's nature, the seat of feeling, in distinction from intellect; -- sometimes, the intellect only; the understanding; the seat of knowledge, as distinguished from feeling. in a more general sense, "an animating, separable, surviving entity, the vehicle of individual personal existence." the eyes of our souls only then begin to see, when our bodily eyes are closing.
3. the seat of real life or vitality; the source of action; the animating or essential part. "the hidden soul of harmony." thou sun, of this great world both eye and soul.
4. the leader; the inspirer; the moving spirit; the heart; as, the soul of an enterprise; an able general is the soul of his army. he is the very soul of bounty!.
5. energy; courage; spirit; fervor; affection, or any other noble manifestation of the heart or moral nature; inherent power or goodness. that he wants algebra he must confess; but not a soul to give our arms success.
6. a human being; a person; -- a familiar appellation, usually with a qualifying epithet; as, poor soul. as cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. xxv.
7. god forbid so many simple souls should perish by the aword! now mistress gilpin (careful soul).
8. a pure or disembodied spirit. that to his only son every soul in heaven shall bend the knee.note: soul is used in the formation of numerous compounds, most of which are of obvious signification; as, soul-betraying, soul-consuming, soul-destroying, soul-distracting, soul-enfeebling, soul-exalting, soul-felt, soul-harrowing, soul-piercing, soul-quickening, soul-reviving, soul-stirring, soul-subduing, soul-withering, etc.
9. soul.
10. Sole.
11. To afford suitable sustenance.
12. The spiritual, rational, and immortal part in man; that part of man which enables him to think, and which renders him a subject of moral government; sometimes, in distinction from the higher nature, or spirit, of man, the so-called animal soul, that is, the seat of life, the sensitive affections and phantasy, exclusive of the voluntary and rational powers; sometimes, in distinction from the mind, the moral and emotional part of man's nature, the seat of feeling, in distinction from intellect; sometimes, the intellect only; the understanding; the seat of knowledge, as distinguished from feeling.
13. In a more general sense, "an animating, separable, surviving entity, the vehicle of individual personal existence." The seat of real life or vitality; the source of action; the animating or essential part.
14. The leader; the inspirer; the moving spirit; the heart; as, the soul of an enterprise; an able general is the soul of his army.
15. Energy; courage; spirit; fervor; affection, or any other noble manifestation of the heart or moral nature; inherent power or goodness.
16. A human being; a person; a familiar appellation, usually with a qualifying epithet; as, poor soul.
17. A pure or disembodied spirit.
18. To indue with a soul; to furnish with a soul or mind. the human embodiment of something; "the soul of honor" a secular form of gospel that was a major Black musical genre in the 1960s and 1970s; "soul was politically significant during the Civil Rights movement" deep feeling or emotion the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life.
19. soul, soul music.
20. 1. Your soul is the part of you that consists of your mind, character, thoughts, and feelings. Many people believe that your soul continues existing after your body is dead. She went to pray for the soul of her late husband `I will put my heart and soul into the job,' he promises.
21. You can refer to someone as a particular kind of soul when you are describing their character or condition. He's a jolly soul.
22. You use soul in negative statements like not a soul to mean nobody at all. I've never harmed a soul in my life There was not a soul there.
23. Soul or soul music is a type of pop music performed mainly by black American musicians. It developed from gospel and blues music and often expresses deep emotions. American soul singer Anita Baker.
24. to bare one's soul: see:
bare body and soul: see body the life and soul of the party: see life. Immaterial aspect or essence of a person, conjoined with the body during life and separable at death. The concept of a soul is found in nearly all cultures and religions, though the interpretations of its nature vary considerably. The ancient Egyptians conceived of a dual soul, one surviving death but remaining near the body, while the other proceeded to the realm of the dead. The early Hebrews did not consider the soul as distinct from the body, but later Jewish writers perceived the two as separate. Christian theology adopted the Greek concept of an immortal soul, adding the notion that God created the soul and infused it into the body at conception. In Islam the soul is believed to come into existence at the same time as the body but is everlasting and subject to eternal bliss or torment after the death of the body. In Hinduism each soul, or atman, was created at the beginning of time and imprisoned in an earthly body; at death the soul is said to pass to a new body according to the laws of karma. Buddhism negates the idea of a soul, asserting that any sense of an individual self is illusory. soul music transmigration of souls All Souls' Day.