Definition of 'sole'

Word Frequency

sole

(soʊl )

Word forms: plural soles

1. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]

The sole thing or person of a particular type is the only one of that type.

Their sole aim is to destabilize the Indian government.

Synonyms: only, one, single, individual More Synonyms of sole

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.

Many women are left as the sole providers in families after their husband has died.

Chief Hart had sole control over that fund.

3. countable noun

The sole of your foot or of a shoe or sock is the underneath surface of it.

...shoes with rubber soles.

He had burned the sole of his foot.

4. countable noun

A sole is a kind of flat fish that you can eat.

Sole is this fish eaten as food.

Video: pronunciation of
sole

sole in British English 1

(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

sole in British English 2

(səʊl )

noun

the underside of the foot

▶ Related adjectives: plantar, volar

the underside of a shoe

the bottom of a furrow

the bottom of a plough

the underside of a golf-club head

the bottom of an oven, furnace, etc

verb (transitive)

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 (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

(səʊl )

nounWord forms: plural sole or soles

any tongue-shaped flatfish of the family Soleidae, esp Solea solea (European sole): most common in warm seas and highly valued as food fishes

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 Frequency

sole in American English 1

(soʊl )

adjective

without another or others; single; one and only

acting, working, etc. alone without help

of or having to do with only one (specified) person or group

given or belonging to no other; not shared or divided; exclusive

the sole rights to a patent

4. Archaic

alone; solitary

5. Law

unmarried

sole in American English 2

(soʊl )

noun

the bottom surface of the foot

the part of a shoe, boot, sock, etc. corresponding to this

the bottom surface of any of several objects, as a golf club

verb transitiveWord forms: soled or ˌsoling

to furnish (a shoe, etc.) with a sole

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

(soʊl )

nounWord forms: plural sole or soles

any of various flatfishes (esp. family Soleidae) usually highly valued as food

Word origin

OFr < VL *sola, for L solea (see sole2): so named from its shape

Examples of 'sole' in a sentence
sole

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.Read more…

Tuck into lemon sole and brown shrimps in the smart restaurant.The sole survivor of the family just keeps asking for his parents.Thus a sole trader or partnership would not be a corporation but limited companies are.Whether their disagreement was the sole or main reason for their divorce is unknown.This time he wore illegal shoes and had to change them for ones without orange soles.She wore simple cloth shoes with rubber soles because she could not afford trainers.The sole aim of a metaphor is to call up a visual image.The sole purpose of this was to protect the food chain but there is widespread abuse.You could sole your shoes with it.This will be true for a sole trader and in the majority of partnerships.

Word lists with
sole

Types of fish

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1

Score: 0 / 5

Which type of fish am I?

any primitive freshwater elongated bony fish of the genus Lepisosteus, of North and Central America, having very long toothed jaws and a body covering of thick scales

garpike lungfish sturgeon

Which type of fish am I?

any marine spiny-finned fish of the order Heterosomata, including the halibut, plaice, turbot, and sole, all of which (when adult) swim along the sea floor on one side of the body, which is highly compressed and has both eyes on the uppermost side

flatfish remora surgeonfish

Which type of fish am I?

any of a genus (Ictiobus) of large, humpbacked, freshwater sucker fishes found in North America

buffalo fish cod perch

Which type of fish am I?

a South American lungfish, Lepidosiren paradoxa, having an eel-shaped body and whiplike paired fins

lepidosiren lungfish sea bass

Which type of fish am I?

any of numerous mainly freshwater teleost fishes having whisker-like barbels around the mouth, esp the silurids of Europe and Asia and the horned pouts of North America

burbot catfish perch

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