Meanings
sole1
- not comparableOnly.
He saw now clearly that the sole crew of the vessel was these two dead men, and though he could not see their faces, he saw by their outstretched hands, which were all of ragged flesh, that they had been subjected to some strange exceptional process of decay.
1905, H. G. Wells, The Empire of the Ants
sole2
plural soles · alternative soal
- obsoleteThe foot itself.
Hast wandred through the world now long a day;Yet ceasest not thy wearie soles to lead
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 91 more example
But the doue found no rest for the sole of her foote, and she returned vnto him into the Arke: […]
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 8:9 - biologySolea solea, a flatfish of the family Soleidae; a true sole.
The fishermen crowding in the cafés were also waiting for the end of the storm, when the fish, reassured, would rise to the surface after the bait. Soles, hog fish and skate were returning from their nocturnal expeditions. Day was now breaking.
1952, Nikos Kazantzakis, chapter 1, in Carl Wildman, transl., Zorba the Greek, New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, translation of Βίος και πολιτεία του Αλέξη Ζορμπά [Víos kai politeía tou Aléxi Zormpá], →ISBN, page 3 - broadlyA flatfish resembling those of the family Soleidae.
- The bottom or lower part of anything, or that on which anything rests in standing.
- The bottom of a furrow.
- The horny substance under a horse's foot, which protects the more tender parts.
- governmentThe bottom of an embrasure.
- nauticalA piece of timber attached to the lower part of the rudder, to make it even with the false keel.
The rudder remains to be repaired, and is unshipped for the purpose; the sole of it is entirely gone
1842, The Nautical Magazine
- businessThe seat or bottom of a mine; applied to horizontal veins or lodes.
present singular third person soles · participle present soling · participle past soled · past soled · alternative soal
- transitiveTo put a sole on a shoe or a boot.
sole3
sole4
sole5
present singular third person soles · participle present soling · participle past soled · past soled · alternative soal · alternative sowl
Sole6
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveUnmarried (especially of a woman); widowed.
nounThe bottom or plantar surface of the foot.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
sole · adjective
- Proto-Indo-European*swé
- Latinsōlus“alone, single, solitary, lonely”
- Old Frenchsol
- Middle Englishsole
- Englishsole
From Middle English sole, soule, from Old French sol, soul (“alone”), from Latin sōlus (“alone, single, solitary, lonely”). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *swé (reflexive pronoun). Perhaps related to Old Latin sollus (“whole, complete”), from Proto-Indo-European *solh₂- (“safe, healthy”). More at save.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →sole · noun, verb
- Proto-Indo-European*swol-“sole”
- Latinsolea“sandal, bottom of the shoe”
- Vulgar Latin*sola“bottom of the shoe”, also “flatfish”
- Old Frenchsole
- Anglo-Normansole
- Old Englishsole
- Middle Englishsole
- Englishsole
From Middle English sole, soole, from Old English sole, solu. Reinforced by Anglo-Norman sole, Old French sole, from Vulgar Latin *sola (“bottom of the shoe”, also “flatfish”), from Latin solea (“sandal, bottom of the shoe”), from Proto-Indo-European *swol- (“sole”). Cognate with Dutch zool (“sole, tread”), German Sohle (“sole, insole, bottom, floor”), Danish sål (“sole”), Icelandic sóli (“sole, outsole”), Gothic 𐍃𐌿𐌻𐌾𐌰 (sulja, “sandal”). Related to Latin solum (“bottom, ground, soil”). More at soil. Compare typologically Russian по́чва (póčva) akin to подо́шва (podóšva).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Anglo-Norman
Full word history & related roots →sole · noun
- Proto-Indo-European*sey-“to tie to, tie together”
- Proto-Germanic*sailą
- Old Englishsāl“a rope, cord, line, bond, rein, door-hinge, necklace, collar”
- Middle Englishsole
- Englishsole
From Middle English sole, soole, from Old English sāl (“a rope, cord, line, bond, rein, door-hinge, necklace, collar”), from Proto-Germanic *sailą, *sailaz (“rope, cable”), *sailō (“noose, rein, bondage”), from Proto-Indo-European *sey- (“to tie to, tie together”). Cognate with Scots sale, saile (“halter, collar”), Dutch zeel (“rope, cord, strap”), German Seil (“rope, cable, wire”), Icelandic seil (“a string, line”). Non-Germanic cognates include Albanian dell (“sinew, vein”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →sole · noun
- Proto-Indo-European*sūl-“thick liquid”
- Proto-Germanic*sulą“mire, wallow, mud”
- Old Englishsol“mire, miry place”
- Middle Englishsol
- Englishsole
From Middle English sol, from Old English sol (“mire, miry place”), from Proto-Germanic *sulą (“mire, wallow, mud”), from Proto-Indo-European *sūl- (“thick liquid”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian soal (“ditch”), Dutch sol (“water and mud filled pit”), German Suhle (“mire, wallow”), Norwegian saula, søyla (“mud puddle”). More at soil.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →sole · verb
- Middle Englishsole“rope”
- Englishsole
From earlier sowle (“to pull by the ear”). Origin unknown. Perhaps from sow (“female pig”) + -le, as in the phrase "take a sow by the wrong ear", or from Middle English sole (“rope”). See above.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans sool, voetsool
- soolbottom of the foot
- voetsoolbottom of the foot
- soolbottom of a shoe or boot
- skoensoolbottom of a shoe or boot
- tongvisfish
Ancient Greek πέλμα
- πέλμα (pélma)bottom of the foot
Arabic وَحِيد, عَزْب
- وَحِيد (waḥīd)only
- عَزْب (ʕazb)unmarried; widowed
- أَخْمُص (ʔaḵmuṣ)bottom of the foot
- بَاطِن القَدَم (bāṭin al-qadam)bottom of the foot
- بَاطِن الرِجْل (bāṭin ar-rijl)bottom of the foot
- نَعْل (naʕl)bottom of a shoe or boot
- سَمَك مُوسَى (samak mūsā)fish
Bulgarian единствен, неженен
- единствен (edinstven)only
- неженен (neženen)unmarried; widowed
- неомъжена (neomăžena)unmarried; widowed
- таба́н (tabán)bottom of the foot
- стъпало (stăpalo)bottom of the foot
- подме́тка (podmétka)bottom of a shoe or boot
- писия (pisija)fish
- морски език (morski ezik)fish
- слагам подметка (slagam podmetka)put a sole on (a shoe or boot)
Catalan sol, solter
- solonly
- solterunmarried; widowed
- planta del peubottom of the foot
- solabottom of a shoe or boot
- llenguadofish
Chinese Cantonese 腳板底 /脚板底, 鞋底
- 腳板底 /脚板底 (goek³ baan² dai²)bottom of the foot
- 鞋底 (haai⁴ dai²)bottom of a shoe or boot
- 龍脷 /龙脷fish
Chinese Mandarin 唯一, 獨身 /独身
- 唯一 (wéiyī)only
- 獨身 /独身 (dúshēn)unmarried; widowed
- 單身 /单身 (dānshēn)unmarried; widowed
- 未婚 (wèihūn)unmarried; widowed
- 腳掌 /脚掌 (jiǎozhǎng)bottom of the foot
- 腳底 /脚底 (jiǎodǐ)bottom of the foot
- 腳底板 /脚底板 (jiǎodǐbǎn)bottom of the foot
- 腳板 /脚板 (jiǎobǎn)bottom of the foot
- 鞋底 (xiédǐ)bottom of a shoe or boot
- 鞋底子 (xiédǐzi)bottom of a shoe or boot
- 鰨魚 /鳎鱼 (tǎyú)fish
Czech jediný, chodidlo
- jedinýonly
- chodidlobottom of the foot
- ploskabottom of the foot
- podrážkabottom of a shoe or boot
- podrazitput a sole on (a shoe or boot)
Danish eneste, enlig
- enesteonly
- enligunmarried; widowed
- fodsålbottom of the foot
- sålbottom of the foot
- sålbottom of a shoe or boot
- skosålbottom of a shoe or boot
- søtungefish
Dutch enig, alleenstaand
- enigonly
- alleenstaandunmarried; widowed
- ongetrouwdunmarried; widowed
- zoolbottom of the foot
- voetzoolbottom of the foot
- zoolbottom of a shoe or boot
- schoenzoolbottom of a shoe or boot
- tongfish
- zeetongfish
- zolenput a sole on (a shoe or boot)
Esperanto sola, needziĝita
- solaonly
- needziĝitaunmarried; widowed
- plandobottom of the foot
- plandumobottom of a shoe or boot
- soleofish
- replandumiput a sole on (a shoe or boot)
Estonian ainus, ainuke
- ainusonly
- ainukeonly
Finnish ainoa, naimaton
- ainoaonly
- naimatonunmarried; widowed
- leskiunmarried; widowed
- jalkapohjabottom of the foot
- pohjabottom of a shoe or boot
- anturabottom of a shoe or boot
- merianturafish
- anturoidaput a sole on (a shoe or boot)
French unique, seul
- uniqueonly
- seulonly
- célibataireunmarried; widowed
- plantebottom of the foot
- plante du piedbottom of the foot
- semellebottom of a shoe or boot
- solefish
- semelerput a sole on (a shoe or boot)
German einzig, ledig
- einzigonly
- ledigunmarried; widowed
- unverheiratetunmarried; widowed
- alleinstehendunmarried; widowed
- Fußsohlebottom of the foot
- Sohlebottom of a shoe or boot
- Schuhsohlebottom of a shoe or boot
- Seezungefish
- besohlenput a sole on (a shoe or boot)
Greek μόνος, μοναδικός
- μόνος (mónos)only
- μοναδικός (monadikós)only
- αποκλειστικός (apokleistikós)only
- άγαμος (ágamos)unmarried; widowed
- χήρος (chíros)unmarried; widowed
- πέλμα (pélma)bottom of the foot
- σόλα (sóla)bottom of a shoe or boot
- γλώσσα (glóssa)fish
- σολιάζω (soliázo)put a sole on (a shoe or boot)
Hebrew יָחִיד, סוּלְיָה
- יָחִיד (yaḥíd)only
- סוּלְיָה (sulyá)bottom of a shoe or boot
- סוֹל (sol)fish
Hindi एकलौता, एकलौती
- एकलौता (eklautā)only
- एकलौती (eklautī)only
- एकल (ekal)unmarried; widowed
- तलवा (talvā)bottom of the foot
- नाल (nāl)bottom of a shoe or boot
Hungarian egyetlen, hajadon
- egyetlenonly
- hajadonunmarried; widowed
- özvegyunmarried; widowed
- talpbottom of the foot
- cipőtalpbottom of a shoe or boot
- talpbottom of a shoe or boot
- nyelvhalfish
- talpalput a sole on (a shoe or boot)
Icelandic il, sóli
- ilbottom of the foot
- sólibottom of a shoe or boot
- skósólibottom of a shoe or boot
Indonesian sol
- solbottom of a shoe or boot
Irish bonn, teanga chait
- bonnbottom of the foot
- teanga chaitfish
- sólfish
- sól coiteannfish
Italian unico, solo
- unicoonly
- soloonly
- piantabottom of the foot
- suolabottom of a shoe or boot
- sogliolafish
- suolareput a sole on (a shoe or boot)
Japanese 唯一の, 独身
- 唯一の (yuiitsu no, yuitsu no)only
- 独身 (dokushin)unmarried; widowed
- 未婚 (mikon)unmarried; widowed
- 足裏 (ashiura)bottom of the foot
- 足の裏 (ashi no ura)bottom of the foot
- 靴底 (kutsuzoko)bottom of a shoe or boot
Korean 발바닥, 구두창
- 발바닥 (balbadak)bottom of the foot
- 구두창 (guduchang)bottom of a shoe or boot
Latin planta, solea
- plantabottom of the foot
- soleabottom of a shoe or boot
- soleafish
Latvian vienīgais
- vienīgaisonly
Malay tapak kaki
- tapak kakibottom of the foot
Māori kapu, kapukapu
- kapubottom of the foot
- kapukapubottom of the foot
- raparapabottom of the foot
- pātikifish
- pātiki rorefish
- tarorefish
Norwegian eneste, singel
- enesteonly
- singelunmarried; widowed
- ensligunmarried; widowed
- sjøtungefish
Norwegian Bokmål såle, fotsåle
- sålebottom of the foot
- fotsålebottom of the foot
- sålebottom of a shoe or boot
- såleput a sole on (a shoe or boot)
Polish jedyny, podeszwa
- jedynyonly
- podeszwabottom of the foot
- podeszwabottom of a shoe or boot
- solafish
- zelowaćput a sole on (a shoe or boot)
Portuguese único, solteiro
- únicoonly
- solteirounmarried; widowed
- solabottom of the foot
- planta do pébottom of the foot
- solabottom of a shoe or boot
- solhafish
- linguadofish
- solarput a sole on (a shoe or boot)
Romanian singur, talpă
- singuronly
- talpăbottom of the foot
- talpăbottom of a shoe or boot
- pingeabottom of a shoe or boot
- solăfish
- limbă-de-marefish
- pingeliput a sole on (a shoe or boot)
Russian еди́нственный, нежена́тый
- еди́нственный (jedínstvennyj)only
- нежена́тый (neženátyj)unmarried; widowed
- холосто́й (xolostój)unmarried; widowed
- незаму́жняя (nezamúžnjaja)unmarried; widowed
- одино́кий (odinókij)unmarried; widowed
- подо́шва (podóšva)bottom of the foot
- ступня (stupnja)bottom of the foot
- подо́шва (podóšva)bottom of a shoe or boot
- подмётка (podmjótka)bottom of a shoe or boot
- морско́й язы́к (morskój jazýk)fish
- подбить новые подмётки (podbitʹ novyje podmjótki)put a sole on (a shoe or boot)
Scottish Gaelic bonn, bonn
- bonnbottom of the foot
- bonnbottom of a shoe or boot
Slovak jediný, slobodný
- jedinýonly
- slobodnýunmarried; widowed
- ovdovenýunmarried; widowed
- vdovecunmarried; widowed
- ovdovenáunmarried; widowed
- vdovaunmarried; widowed
- chodidlobottom of the foot
- podošvabottom of the foot
- šľapabottom of the foot
- podošvabottom of a shoe or boot
Spanish solo, único
- soloonly
- únicoonly
- plantabottom of the foot
- planta del piebottom of the foot
- planta podalbottom of the foot
- suelabottom of a shoe or boot
- lenguadofish
- solarput a sole on (a shoe or boot)
Swahili wayo, soli
- wayobottom of the foot
- solibottom of a shoe or boot
Swedish enda, ensamstående
- endaonly
- ensamståendeunmarried; widowed
- fotsulabottom of the foot
- sulabottom of the foot
- sulabottom of a shoe or boot
- skosulabottom of a shoe or boot
- sjötungafish
- sulaput a sole on (a shoe or boot)
Tagalog tangi, talampakan
- tangionly
- talampakanbottom of the foot
Tamil உள்ளங்கால், உள்ளடி
- உள்ளங்கால் (uḷḷaṅkāl)bottom of the foot
- உள்ளடி (uḷḷaṭi)bottom of the foot
- நாக்குமீன் (nākkumīṉ)fish
Thai ฝ่า
- ฝ่า (fàa)bottom of the foot
Turkish taban, dil balığı
- tabanbottom of the foot
- dil balığıfish
- pençelemekput a sole on (a shoe or boot)
- pençe vurmakput a sole on (a shoe or boot)
Ukrainian підо́шва, підо́шва
- підо́шва (pidóšva)bottom of the foot
- підо́шва (pidóšva)bottom of a shoe or boot
- підме́тка (pidmétka)bottom of a shoe or boot
Vietnamese bàn chân
- bàn chânbottom of the foot
Welsh gwadn
- gwadnbottom of the foot
Yiddish פּאַדעשווע
- פּאַדעשווע (padeshve)bottom of a shoe or boot
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with sole
Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
sole. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sole
“sole.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sole. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sole,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sole.
Source: sole on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.