sole1

[sohl] /soʊl/
adjective
1.
being the only one; only:
the sole living relative.
2.
being the only one of the kind; unique; unsurpassed; matchless:
the sole brilliance of the gem.
3.
belonging or pertaining to one individual or group to the exclusion of all others; exclusive:
the sole right to the estate.
4.
functioning automatically or with independent power:
the sole authority.
5.
Chiefly Law. unmarried.
6.
without company or companions; lonely:
the sole splendor of her life.
7.
Archaic. alone.
Origin
1350-1400; < Latin sōlus alone; replacing Middle English soule alone < Old French sol < Latin sōlus
Related forms
soleness, noun
Synonyms
1. solitary. 2. individual.

sole2

[sohl] /soʊl/
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.
3.
the bottom, under surface, or lower part of anything.
4.
Carpentry.
  1. the underside of a plane.
  2. soleplate.
5.
Golf. the part of the head of the club that touches the ground.
verb (used with object), soled, soling.
6.
to furnish with a sole, as a shoe.
7.
Golf. to place the sole of (a club) on the ground, as in preparation for a stroke.
Origin
1275-1325; Middle English (noun) < Old French < Latin solea sandal, sole, derivative of solum base, bottom
Related forms
soleless, adjective

sole3

[sohl] /soʊl/
noun, plural (especially collectively) sole (especially 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.
Origin
1300-50; Middle English < Middle French < Old Provençal < Vulgar Latin *sola (for Latin solea; see sole2), so called from its flat shape; compare Spanish suela, Italian soglia, Portuguese solha
Examples from the web for sole
  • These ideas, once the sole province of fiction writers, face real tests in a new generation of experiments.
  • Brevity is the sole of wit, as any dummy can tell you.
  • The sole of each of his shoes is lacquered in a vivid, glossy red.
  • Resistance was often their sole means of maintaining a sense of purpose, and so their sanity.
  • In partnerships and sole proprietorships, the forms he preferred, the owners ran the business.
  • Coal smoke is not the sole cause of these deaths, but it is a major contributor.
  • After all, temperature is not the sole determinant of a wine's taste.
  • Maybe the salmon is sketchy today, but the sole sings to you.
  • Hubbard's sole offense was to claim liberty for himself and try to win it.
  • In these words he writes the sole prescription for a distinguished humanity.
British Dictionary definitions for sole

sole1

/səʊl/
adjective
1.
(prenominal) being the only one; only
2.
(prenominal) of or relating to one individual or group and no other: sole rights on a patent
3.
(law) having no wife or husband See also feme sole
4.
an archaic word for solitary
Derived Forms
soleness, noun
Word Origin
C14: from Old French soule, from Latin sōlus alone

sole2

/səʊl/
noun
1.
the underside of the foot related adjectives plantar volar
2.
the underside of a shoe
3.
  1. the bottom of a furrow
  2. the bottom of a plough
4.
the underside of a golf-club head
5.
the bottom of an oven, furnace, etc
verb (transitive)
6.
to provide (a shoe) with a sole
7.
(golf) to rest (the club) on the ground, as when preparing to make a stroke
Derived Forms
soleless, adjective
Word Origin
C14: via Old French from Latin solea sandal; probably related to solum the ground

sole3

/səʊl/
noun (pl) sole, soles
1.
any tongue-shaped flatfish of the family Soleidae, esp Solea solea (European sole): most common in warm seas and highly valued as food fishes
2.
any of certain other similar fishes
Word Origin
C14: via Old French from Vulgar Latin sola (unattested), from Latin solea a sandal (from the fish's shape)
Word Origin and History for sole
n.

"bottom of the foot" ("technically, the planta, corresponding to the palm of the hand," Century Dictionary), early 14c., from Old French sole, from Vulgar Latin *sola, from Latin solea "sandal, bottom of a shoe; a flatfish," from solum "bottom, ground, foundation, lowest point of a thing" (hence "sole of the foot"), of uncertain origin. In English, the meaning "bottom of a shoe or boot" is from late 14c.

common European flatfish, mid-13c., from Old French sole, from Latin solea "a kind of flatfish," originally "sandal" (see sole (n.1)); so called from resemblance of the fish to a flat shoe.

adj.

"single, alone, having no husband or wife; one and only, singular, unique," late 14c., from Old French soul "only, alone, just," from Latin solus "alone, only, single, sole; forsaken; extraordinary," of unknown origin, perhaps related to se "oneself," from PIE reflexive root *swo- (see so).

v.

"furnish (a shoe) with a sole," 1560s, from sole (n.1). Related: Soled; soling.

sole in Medicine

sole (sōl)
n.
The underside of the foot.