Absoil

/æbˈsɔɪl/ verb

Definition

To cleanse or purify from soil or stain; to absolve or exonerate (archaic or poetic usage).

Etymology

From Latin ab- (away from) plus solum/soil, meaning literally 'to remove soil from.' The word plays on similarity to 'absolve' while maintaining the image of physical cleansing.

Kelly Says

Absoil is a gorgeous example of English wordplay—it sounds like 'absolve' and means similar things, but the literal sense 'to clean soil from' lets poets describe both physical and moral purification in one image.

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