sole
/səʊl/ (bre, ipa) · /səʊl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsōl/ (ame, mw) · /soʊl/ (ame, ipa)
sole — adjective
- solepositive
- solercomparative
- solestsuperlative
1. used to describe something that is the only one of its kind existing in a partic
used to describe something that is the only one of its kind existing in a particular situation, with no others like it.
Arjun was the sole survivor of the plane crash, and his story touched people around the world.
collocation: sole survivor
The sole reason the Watanabe family moved to Toronto was to be closer to their daughter.
collocation: sole reason
This dusty box contains the sole remaining copy of my grandfather's original letters.
The sole remaining ticket went to a fan who had queued for hours outside the stadium.
文法句型
sole + noun
用法筆記
Attributive only — always placed directly before the noun it describes. Never used predicatively (do not say 'The survivor was sole').
常見錯誤
2. held or controlled by a single individual or entity, with no other person or gro
held or controlled by a single individual or entity, with no other person or group having any part in it.
After the divorce, Eve was granted sole custody of her two young children.
legal domain: sole custody
The publishing company holds the sole rights to print translations of that novel.
collocation: sole rights
Mert took sole responsibility for organising the entire conference, from booking the venue to arranging the speakers.
Sade held the sole patent for the new medical device, preventing other companies from copying it.
文法句型
sole + noun
用法筆記
Frequently used in legal and business contexts. Subject is typically a person, company, or institution that has exclusive control or ownership.
常見錯誤
3. operating as a single person without business partners, employees who share deci
operating as a single person without business partners, employees who share decision-making power, or outside financial involvement.
Pim registered as a sole trader and began selling handcrafted wooden furniture online.
British business term: sole trader
As the sole owner of the bakery, Élise decides the menu, sets the prices, and keeps all the profits.
collocation: sole owner
A sole proprietor does not need to register a separate business name if they trade under their own legal name.
A sole practitioner often handles every aspect of a client's legal case without help from partners.
- independent
broader meaning; does not specifically describe a business structure
- joint
involving two or more owners or partners
- partnership
a business owned by two or more people
文法句型
sole + noun
用法筆記
British English uses 'sole trader'; American English uses 'sole proprietor'. This sense appears mainly in business and legal contexts.
sole — noun
- solesingular
- solesplural
1. the flat bottom area of the human body that supports the body's weight during wa
the flat bottom area of the human body that supports the body's weight during walking and standing, and by extension the lower layer of a shoe or boot that wears against the ground.
A sharp piece of glass cut the sole of Caio's foot while he was walking barefoot on the beach.
body part: sole of the foot
The leather soles of her favourite boots had worn completely smooth after two winters of daily wear.
footwear: leather sole
The cobbler examined the shoe's sole and nodded, promising to fix it by Friday.
A good pair of running shoes should have thick, cushioned soles that absorb the impact of each step.
- underside
more general; can describe the bottom of any object, not specific to feet or shoes
文法句型
the sole of + noun
possessive + sole
用法筆記
When referring to the foot, often used with 'of': 'the sole of my foot'. When referring to a shoe, 'sole' can stand alone: 'the shoe has a rubber sole'. The plural 'soles' is common when talking about both feet or both shoes.
常見錯誤
2. a type of flat, oval-shaped saltwater fish with both eyes on one side of its bod
a type of flat, oval-shaped saltwater fish with both eyes on one side of its body, which is caught for food and has white, delicate flesh.
For her birthday dinner, Manuela ordered pan-fried sole served with lemon butter sauce and fresh green beans.
food context: pan-fried sole
The fisherman pulled a large Dover sole from the net and placed it carefully in the ice-filled crate.
variety: Dover sole
Today's special at the restaurant is grilled sole with roasted potatoes and a light dill sauce.
Ava learned to fillet a whole sole by watching a cooking tutorial from a Japanese chef.
- flatfish
broader category that includes sole, flounder, and plaice
用法筆記
Can be countable ('a sole' = one fish) or uncountable ('some sole' = the food). Common varieties include Dover sole and lemon sole. Popular in European cuisine, especially French and British cooking.
3. the flat bottom surface of an object or tool, especially the part that rests on
the flat bottom surface of an object or tool, especially the part that rests on or touches another surface during use.
The sole of the golf club was scratched after Arjun accidentally hit it against a rocky patch of ground.
golf equipment: sole of the club
Wren checked the sole of the steam iron and wiped off the white residue with a damp cloth.
household object: sole of the iron
The metal sole of the plough glided smoothly through the dark, moist soil of the spring field.
The sole of the plane's landing gear took the full force of the rough touchdown on the short runway.
文法句型
the sole of + noun
用法筆記
This sense applies to the flat base of various tools and objects. In golf, the sole is the bottom part of the club head that touches the ground during a swing. The specific word used varies by object — for some items 'base' or 'bottom' is more common in everyday language.
sole — verb
- solepresent simple I / you / we / they
- soles3rd person singular
- soling-ing form
- soledpast simple
1. to attach a new bottom layer to a shoe or boot when the old one has worn out, ty
to attach a new bottom layer to a shoe or boot when the old one has worn out, typically done by a professional shoe repairer.
Tamar took her worn hiking boots to the repair shop to have them soled before the mountain trip.
causative: have/get something soled
The old leather shoes had been soled three times over twenty years, yet they remained the cobbler's finest work.
passive: were soled
A good cobbler can sole a pair of boots so neatly that the repair is barely visible.
Yuna found a shop that still soles shoes by hand, using century-old tools.
- resole
more specific; means to put a fresh sole on an already-soled shoe, often used by cobblers
文法句型
sole + object (shoes/boots)
have/get + object + soled
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in the context of shoe repair. The passive form ('have them soled') or past participle ('soled') is more common than the active present tense. The noun 'sole' becomes the verb 'sole' without any change in spelling.