What does "sowl" mean?
A dainty; a relish; a sauce; anything eaten with bread.
Sowl
/saʊl/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A dainty; a relish; a sauce; anything eaten with bread.
- Grammar: sowl is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: dirty, sauce.
- Usage evidence: Good lorjus days, whot whofo times ar' theese! / Pot-baws ar scant, an dear is seawl an cheese!
How to use "sowl"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sowl" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "sowl" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sowl" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sowl" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "sowl" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "dirty" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sowl", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A dainty; a relish; a sauce; anything eaten with bread. British, dialectal
"Good lorjus days, whot whofo times ar' theese! / Pot-baws ar scant, an dear is seawl an cheese!"
- 2 Archaic spelling of soul. alt-of, archaic
"[W]here in tyme past wthin the p[ar]ish chirch of new Wyndesor hath ben kept yerely on Trinite Sunday an obitt wᵗʰ mass of requiem on the moro next followᵍ for the Sowles of all the Brethren and sisters of the Trinite brotherhood there, wᶜʰ tyme out of mynde hath bene usyd, the said Andrew for th' inlarging of the sᵈ anniv[er]sary or obiit for more merytte to all the seyd sowls and for the well of all his good friends sowls hath gyven to the wardens of the sᵈ fraternite or Brotherhood to the brothern and systers of the same frat[er]nite and to their successors for ev[er] a certaine tenem[en]t in new Wyndsor […]"
Verb
- 1 To pull (especially an animal) by the ears; to drag about. transitive
"Hee'l go he ſayes, and ſole the Porter of Rome Gates by th'ears. He will mowe all downe before him, and leaue his paſſage poul'd."
- 2 To soil or stain; to dirty. obsolete
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Good lorjus days, whot whofo times ar' theese! / Pot-baws ar scant, an dear is seawl an cheese!"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sowl"?
Common synonyms include: dirty, sauce.
How do you use "sowl" in a sentence?
Good lorjus days, whot whofo times ar' theese! / Pot-baws ar scant, an dear is seawl an cheese!
How do you pronounce "sowl"?
Pronounced /saʊl/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English sowel, souel, suvel (“food eaten with bread; food in general”), from Old English sufel, sufol (“anything (especially relish) eaten with bread; sowl”), from Proto-West Germanic *sufl, from Proto-Germanic *suflą (“entremets, viands”), from Proto-Indo-European *seu-, *sew- (“juice; moisture; rain”). The word is cognate with Danish sul (“sowl”), Middle Dutch suvel, zuvel (Dutch zuivel (“dairy products”)), Middle Low German suvel, süvel, suffel (“sowl”), Old High German sufil, sufili, Old Norse sufl, Norwegian suvl, sovl, sul (“milk porridge; food eaten with bread, porridge or soup”), Saterland Frisian süfel (“dairy products”), Swedish sovel (“sowl”), West Frisian suvel (“dairy products”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English soul, soule, sowel, sawel (“soul”). See further at soul.
Etymology 3
Origin unknown; compare German zaulen, zauseln, zausen (“to tug, drag”). See also tousle.
Etymology 4
From Middle English sōlen (“to become dirty or soiled; to make dirty, soil; to be defiled, polluted”), from Old English solian (“to make or become foul, sully”), from Proto-Germanic *sulwōną, *sulwijaną; compare sullow and sully, and Danish søle (“to make dirty, defile”), Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐍃𐌰𐌿𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽 (bisauljan, “to bemire”), Middle Dutch soluwen, seulewen (“to besmirch, soil”), Old French soillier, souillier, soller (“to dirty, stain; to tarnish (a reputation, etc.)”) (modern French souiller), Old High German solagōn, bisullen (“to make dirty”), German suhlen (“to make dirty, soil”), Old Saxon sulian (“to mire, soil”), West Flemish sowelen, suwelen.