Definition of 'sole'
Word forms: plural soles
1. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
The sole thing or person of a particular type is the only one of that type.
2. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
If you have sole charge or ownership of something, you are the only person in charge of it or who owns it.
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
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Word Frequency
sole in British English 1
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
soleness (ˈsoleness) noun
Word origin
C14: from Old French soule, from Latin sōlus alone
Word Frequency
sole in British English 2
verb (transitive)
6.
to provide (a shoe) with a sole
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
soleless (ˈsoleless) adjective
Word origin
C14: via Old French from Latin solea sandal; probably related to solum the ground
Word Frequency
sole in British English 3
nounWord forms: plural sole or soles
1.
2.
any of certain other similar fishes
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C14: via Old French from Vulgar Latin sola (unattested), from Latin solea a sandal (from the fish's shape)
Word Frequency
sole in American English 1
adjective
2.
of or having to do with only one (specified) person or group
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
ME < OE sol < L solus, alone < ? IE *sōlo- < base *se-, *s(e)wo-, apart > L suus, one's own
Word Frequency
sole in American English 2
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
OFr < VL *sola, for L solea, sandal, sole, kind of fish < solum, sole, base, ground, bottom
Word Frequency
sole in American English 3
nounWord forms: plural sole or soles
any of various flatfishes (esp. family Soleidae) usually highly valued as food
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word Frequency
sole in American English 1
(soul)
adjective
SYNONYMS 1. solitary. 2. individual1.
being the only one; only
the sole living relative
3.
belonging or pertaining to one individual or group to the exclusion of all others; exclusive
the sole right to the estate
5. chiefly Law
unmarried
7. archaic
alone
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
soleness noun
Word origin
[1350–1400; ‹ L sōlus alone; r. ME soule alone ‹ OF sol ‹ L sōlus]Word Frequency
sole in American English 2
(soul) (verb soled, soling)
noun
1.
the bottom or under surface of the foot
2.
the corresponding under part of a shoe, boot, or the like, or this part exclusive
of the heel
transitive verb
6.
to furnish with a sole, as a shoe
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
soleless adjective
Word origin
[1275–1325; ME (n.) ‹ OF ‹ L solea sandal, sole, deriv. of solum base, bottom]Word Frequency
sole in American English 3
(soul)
nounWord forms: plural esp collectively sole or esp referring to two or more kinds or species soles
1.
a European flatfish, Solea solea, used for food
2.
any other flatfish of the families Soleidae and Cynoglossidae, having a hooklike snout
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1300–50; ME ‹ MF ‹ OPr ‹ VL *sola (for L solea; see sole2), so called from its flat shape; cf. Sp suela, It soglia, Pg solha]Examples of 'sole' in a sentence
sole
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sole
Types of fishQuick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
Which type of fish am I?
any large marine serranid fish of the genus Epinephelus and related genera, of warm and tropical seas
Which type of fish am I?
any small marine percoid fish of the family Trachinidae, such as Trachinus vipera of European waters, having venomous spines around the gills and the dorsal fin
Which type of fish am I?
a venomous tropical marine scorpaenid fish, Synanceja verrucosa, that resembles a piece of rock on the seabed
Which type of fish am I?
any large northern deep-sea blennioid fish of the family Anarhichadidae, such as Anarhichas lupus. They have large sharp teeth and no pelvic fins and are used as food fishes
Which type of fish am I?
a saltwater fish, Acanthistius serratus, of Australia, with bright blue spots
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In other languages
sole
British English: sole
ADJECTIVE /səʊl/
The sole thing or person of a particular type is the only one of that type.
Their sole aim is to destabilize the country.
British English: sole
NOUN /səʊl/
The sole of your foot or of a shoe or sock is the underneath surface of it.
...shoes with rubber soles.
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sole
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Definition of sole from the Collins English Dictionary
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