Soul, n.
Etymology: [OE. soule, saule, AS. sawel, sawl; akin to OFries. s, OS. s, D. ziel, G. seele, OHG. s, s, Icel. sala, Sw. själ, Dan. siæl, Goth. saiwala; of uncertain origin, perhaps akin to L. saeculum a lifetime, age (cf. Secular.)]
1. The spiritual, rational, and immortal part in man; that part of man which enables him to think, and which renders him a subject of moral government; -- sometimes, in distinction from the higher nature, or spirit, of man, the so-called animal soul, that is, the seat of life, the sensitive affections and phantasy, exclusive of the voluntary and rational powers; -- sometimes, in distinction from the mind, the moral and emotional part of man's nature, the seat of feeling, in distinction from intellect; -- sometimes, the intellect only; the understanding; the seat of knowledge, as distinguished from feeling. In a more general sense, "an animating, separable, surviving entity, the vehicle of individual personal existence." Tylor. The eyes of our souls only then begin to see, when our bodily eyes are closing. Law.
2. The seat of real life or vitality; the source of action; the animating or essential part. "The hidden soul of harmony." Milton. Thou sun, of this great world both eye and soul. Milton.
3. The leader; the inspirer; the moving spirit; the heart; as, the soul of an enterprise; an able gemeral is the soul of his army. He is the very soul of bounty! Shak.
4. Energy; courage; spirit; fervor; affection, or any other noble manifestation of the heart or moral nature; inherent power or goodness. That he wants algebra he must confess; But not a soul to give our arms success. Young.
4 more senses
5. A human being; a person; -- a familiar appellation, usually with a qualifying epithet; as, poor soul. As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. Prov. xxv. 25. God forbid so many simple souls Should perish by the aword! Shak. Now mistress Gilpin (careful soul). Cowper.
6. A pure or disembodied spirit. That to his only Son . . . every soul in heaven Shall bend the knee. Milton.
Note: Soul is used in the formation of numerous compounds, most of which are of obvious signification; as, soul-betraying, soul- consuming, soul-destroying, soul-distracting, soul-enfeebling, soul- exalting, soul-felt, soul-harrowing, soul-piercing, soul-quickening, soul-reviving, soul-stirring, soul-subduing, soul-withering, etc.
Syn. -- Spirit; life; courage; fire; ardor. Cure of souls. See Cure, n., 2. -- Soul bell, the passing bell. Bp. Hall. -- Soul foot. See Soul scot, below. [Obs.] -- Soul scot or Soul shot. Etym: [Soul + scot, or shot; cf. AS. sawelsceat.] (O. Eccl. Law) A funeral duty paid in former times for a requiem for the soul. Ayliffe.
4 other Webster entries under this spelling
Soul, a.
Sole. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Soul, a.
Sole. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Soul, v. i.
To afford suitable sustenance. [Obs.] Warner.
Soul, v. t.
To indue with a soul; to furnish with a soul or mind. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for soul; he lists it under mind.
Where he writes about it:
The soul includes the intellect, sensibilities, and will; beyond what is expressed by the word mind, the soul denotes especially the moral, the immortal nature; we say of a dead body, the soul (not the mind) has fled. — from mind
Spirit is used especially in contradistinction from matter; it may in many cases be substituted for soul, but soul has commonly a fuller and more determinate meaning; we can conceive of spirits as having no moral nature; the fairies, elves, and brownies of mythology might be termed spirits, but not souls. — from mind
Soul denotes energy and depth of feeling, as when we speak of soulful eyes; or it may denote the very life of anything; as, "the hidden soul of harmony," MILTON L'Allegro l. 144. — from mind