sole
sole Lexical Profile
sole Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Being the only one of its kind; without others.
"She was the sole survivor of the maritime disaster."
Belonging or restricted exclusively to one person or group of people.
"The company holds the sole rights to distribute the independent film in North America."
• noun
The bottom part of a piece of footwear that comes into contact with the ground.
"The heavy rubber sole of his hiking boot provided excellent traction on the slippery rocks."
The undersurface of a person's or animal's foot.
"The hot beach sand burned the sole of her foot as she ran toward the water."
A type of edible marine flatfish belonging to the family Soleidae, typically possessing a flat, oval body with both eyes on one side.
"The restaurant is famous for preparing delicate fillets of lemon sole with a brown butter and caper sauce."
• verb
To fit or furnish (a piece of footwear) with a new bottom surface.
"The local cobbler promised to sole the vintage leather boots by Thursday afternoon."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often confused with the homophone 'soul', which refers to the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being, or a genre of music.
• Rhymes for sole
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The noun referring to the bottom of the foot or shoe, as well as the flatfish, derives from Latin 'solea' (sandal, flatfish). The adjective meaning 'only' derives separately from Latin 'solus' (alone).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.