soul

[sohl] /soʊl/
noun
1.
the principle of life, feeling, thought, and action in humans, regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body, and commonly held to be separable in existence from the body; the spiritual part of humans as distinct from the physical part.
2.
the spiritual part of humans regarded in its moral aspect, or as believed to survive death and be subject to happiness or misery in a life to come:
arguing the immortality of the soul.
3.
the disembodied spirit of a deceased person:
He feared the soul of the deceased would haunt him.
4.
the emotional part of human nature; the seat of the feelings or sentiments.
5.
a human being; person.
6.
high-mindedness; noble warmth of feeling, spirit or courage, etc.
7.
the animating principle; the essential element or part of something.
8.
the inspirer or moving spirit of some action, movement, etc.
9.
the embodiment of some quality:
He was the very soul of tact.
10.
(initial capital letter) Christian Science. God; the divine source of all identity and individuality.
11.
shared ethnic awareness and pride among black people, especially black Americans.
12.
deeply felt emotion, as conveyed or expressed by a performer or artist.
13.
soul music.
adjective
14.
of, characteristic of, or for black Americans or their culture:
soul newspapers.
Origin
before 900; Middle English; Old English sāwl, sāwol; cognate with Dutch ziel, German Seele, Old Norse sāl, Gothic saiwala
Related forms
soullike, adjective
undersoul, noun
Synonyms
1. spirit. 4. heart. 7. essence, core, heart.
Examples from the web for soul
  • Remarkable experiences for the mind, body and soul are everywhere.
  • One argument for the eternity of the soul is that life in a body is even harder to explain than life outside of one.
  • There was a six-month supply of food and water-but not a soul to consume it.
  • Full of soul, it's the kind of music you gotta dance to-unless there's something wrong with you.
  • And beyond the physical damage, they say, there is reason to believe that rampant incivility is damaging to the soul.
  • For each, food is a powerful vessel of shared traditions, a direct pipeline into the soul of a community.
  • And yes, my soul is also being whittled away, bit by painful bit.
  • For me it was preaching to the choir, but that is occasionally good for the soul.
  • Without understanding that intensely physical reaction, scholarship about the arts can no longer enlarge the soul.
  • The fact that a long-distance relationship isn't an option, but breaking up is, says that this guy might not be your soul-mate.
British Dictionary definitions for soul

soul

/səʊl/
noun
1.
the spirit or immaterial part of man, the seat of human personality, intellect, will, and emotions, regarded as an entity that survives the body after death related adjective pneumatic
2.
(Christianity) the spiritual part of a person, capable of redemption from the power of sin through divine grace
3.
the essential part or fundamental nature of anything
4.
a person's feelings or moral nature as distinct from other faculties
5.
  1. Also called soul music. a type of Black music resulting from the addition of jazz, gospel, and pop elements to the urban blues style
  2. (as modifier): a soul singer
6.
(modifier) of or relating to Black Americans and their culture: soul brother, soul food
7.
nobility of spirit or temperament: a man of great soul and courage
8.
an inspiring spirit or leading figure, as of a cause or movement
9.
a person regarded as typifying some characteristic or quality: the soul of discretion
10.
a person; individual: an honest soul
11.
the life and soul, See life (sense 28)
12.
upon my soul!, an exclamation of surprise
Derived Forms
soul-like, adjective
Word Origin
Old English sāwol; related to Old Frisian sēle, Old Saxon sēola, Old High German sēula soul

Soul

/səʊl/
noun
1.
(Christian Science) another word for God
Word Origin and History for soul
n.

"A substantial entity believed to be that in each person which lives, feels, thinks and wills" [Century Dictionary], Old English sawol "spiritual and emotional part of a person, animate existence; life, living being," from Proto-Germanic *saiwalo (cf. Old Saxon seola, Old Norse sala, Old Frisian sele, Middle Dutch siele, Dutch ziel, Old High German seula, German Seele, Gothic saiwala), of uncertain origin.

Sometimes said to mean originally "coming from or belonging to the sea," because that was supposed to be the stopping place of the soul before birth or after death [Barnhart]; if so, it would be from Proto-Germanic *saiwaz (see sea). Klein explains this as "from the lake," as a dwelling-place of souls in ancient northern Europe.

Meaning "spirit of a deceased person" is attested in Old English from 971. As a synonym for "person, individual, human being" (e.g. every living soul) it dates from early 14c. Soul-searching (n.) is attested from 1871, from the phrase used as a past participle adjective (1610s). Distinguishing soul from spirit is a matter best left to theologians.

"instinctive quality felt by black persons as an attribute," 1946, jazz slang, from soul (n.1). Also from this sense are soul brother (1957), soul sister (1967), soul food (1957), etc. Soul music, essentially gospel music with "girl," etc., in place of "Jesus," first attested 1961; William James used the term in 1900, in a spiritual/romantic sense, but in reference to inner music.

Slang definitions & phrases for soul

soul

adjective
  1. Pertaining to a moving form of popular African-American music: program content on soul radio stations/ That's what the Soul scene taught everybody
  2. : a soul ballad/ a soul-jazz-blues quintet
noun
  1. An instinctive, sensitive, humorous, and sympathetic quality felt by black persons to be inherent and to constitute their essential and valuable attribute: He's got soul when he dances! I mean Super Soul!
  2. (also soul music) This quality in music, and music having this quality: When Aretha Franklin pours forth a thousand cups of soul (1946+ Jazz musicians)
Related Terms

blue-eyed soul, body and soul, gripe one's ass


Idioms and Phrases with soul

soul

In addition to the idiom beginning with
soul
also see: