BOLE, an aluminous or ferruginous clay, allied to bauxite and laterite (qq.v.). It occurs as partings between successive ancient lava flows, as for example in Antrim, Ireland, the west of Scotland and in the Deccan, India, probably representing the soils formed by weathering during intervals between eruptions.
In the sense of stem or trunk of a tree "bole" is from the O. Norwegian bolr, cf. German Bohle, a plank. It is probably con nected with a large number of words, such as "boll," "ball," "bowl" denoting a round object.