Definition of 'sole'
Word forms: soles
1. adjective [ADJ n]
The sole thing or person of a particular type is the only one of that type.
2. adjective [ADJ n]
3. countable noun
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
sole
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 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)
Examples of 'sole' in a sentence
sole
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Word lists with
sole
Types of fishQuick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
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Score: 0 / 5
Which type of fish am I?
any freshwater spiny-finned teleost fish of the family Percidae, esp those of the genus Perca, such as P. fluviatilis of Europe and P. flavescens (yellow perch) of North America: valued as food and game fishes
Which type of fish am I?
a whitefish, Coregonus stigmaticus, of certain lakes in the Lake District
Which type of fish am I?
a tunny, Thunnus alalunga, occurring mainly in warm regions of the Atlantic and Pacific. It has very long pectoral fins and is a valued food fish
Which type of fish am I?
a small food fish of the family Arripididae, found in southern and western Australian waters
Which type of fish am I?
any of various whitefish, esp Coregonus artedi, of cold deep lakes of North America
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Trends of
sole
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In other languages
sole
British English: sole ADJECTIVE
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
The sole of your foot or of a shoe or sock is the underneath surface of it.
...shoes with rubber soles.
Nearby words of
sole
Related terms of
sole
Source
Definition of sole from the
Collins English Dictionary
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