Let’s say you’ve just grabbed a handful of dirt because you want to stuff it down Joe-Bob’s shirt. Notice how the dirt feels? The way a soil feels is called soil “texture.”
How a soil feels depends on how much sand, silt, and clay it contains. Sand particles feel rough. Silt particles feel like talcum powder. Clay particles feel smooth and sticky when they’re wet.
Now go apologize to Joe-Bob.
Soil “texture” is how the soil feels. Clay soils feel smooth and sticky. Sandy soils feel rougher.
Photo: USDA NRCS