Soil

The top layer of the Earth’s surface, made of small pieces of rock, minerals, and decayed plants and animals, in which plants grow. It is also called earth or dirt.

“Soil” in the sense of ground comes from Old French “sol,” from Latin “solum,” meaning “floor” or “ground.” English adopted it for the land plants grow in. There is a separate verb “soil,” meaning “to make dirty,” from a different French root.