Definition

1. Noun:
   • A house built of sod or adobe laid in horizontal courses: A dwelling constructed from blocks of earth or turf, typically used by early settlers in regions with few trees.
   • English chemist whose work on radioactive disintegration led to the discovery of isotopes (1877-1956): A proper noun referring to Frederick Soddy, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (House):

  • The pioneer family lived in a simple soddy on the prairie.
  • Archaeologists found the remains of an old soddy built into the hillside.

• Noun (Person):

  • Soddy was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1921.
  • The theory of isotopes is credited to Soddy.

Advanced Usage

• Historical Context: The term "soddy" is primarily used in historical or architectural contexts to describe early settler homes in places like the American Great Plains.
  • Life in a soddy was difficult, offering little protection from the elements.

Variants and Related Words

• Sod (n): A section of grass-covered surface soil held together by matted roots; also refers to the turf or peat used to build a soddy.
  • They cut squares of sod to build their home.
• Sod house (n): A synonym for a soddy as a type of dwelling.

Synonyms

• Sod house: A direct synonym for the dwelling.
• Adobe house: A similar dwelling made from sun-dried earth bricks, common in other regions.
• Turf house: A similar structure, common in some European historical contexts.

Related Phrases

• To break sod: A historical phrase meaning to begin farming virgin prairie land, which was often the first step before building a permanent structure like a soddy.
  • The settlers arrived in spring, ready to break sod for their first crop.

Noun

1. English chemist whose work on radioactive disintegration led to the discovery of isotopes (1877-1956)
2. a house built of sod or adobe laid in horizontal courses