foul

English

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Middle English, from Old English fūl (“foul, unclean, impure, vile, corrupt, rotten, guilty”), from Proto-Germanic *fūlaz (“foul, rotten”), from Proto-Indo-European *pū- (“to rot”). Cognate with Dutch vuil (“foul”), German rotten, putrid, Swedish ful (“foul”), Albanian fëlliq (“filth,dirt”), Latin puter (“rotten”). More at putrid.

Adjective

foul (comparative fouler, superlative foulest)

  1. Covered with, or containing, extraneous matter which is injurious, noxious, offensive, or obstructive; filthy; dirty; not clean; polluted; nasty; defiled; as, a foul cloth; foul hands; a foul chimney; foul air; a ship's bottom is foul when overgrown with barnacles; a gun becomes foul from repeated firing; a well is foul with polluted water.
    Cap'n, she's all fouled up.
  2. Scurrilous; obscene or profane; abusive; as, foul words; foul language.
    The rascal spewed forth a series of foul pronouncements.
  3. Hateful; detestable; shameful; odious; wretched.
    He has a foul set of friends.
  4. Loathsome; disgusting; as, a foul disease.
    This foul food is making me retch.
  5. Ugly; homely; poor.
  6. Not favorable; unpropitious; not fair or advantageous; as, a foul wind; a foul road; cloudy or rainy; stormy; not fair; -- said of the weather, sky, etc.
    Some foul weather is brewing.
  7. Not conformed to the established rules and customs of a game, conflict, test, etc.; unfair; dishonest; dishonorable; cheating; as, foul play.
    Foul play is not suspected.
  8. (nautical) Having freedom of motion interfered with by collision or entanglement; entangled; -- opposed to clear; as, a rope or cable may get foul while paying it out.
    We've got a foul anchor.
  9. (baseball) Outside of the base lines; in foul territory.
    Jones hit foul ball after foul ball.
Usage notes
  • Nouns to which "foul" is often applied: play, ball, language, breath, smell, odor, water, weather, deed.
Translations
covered with, or containing, extraneous matter
scurrilous; obscene or profane; abusive
hateful; detestable; shameful; odious; wretched
loathsome; disgusting
ugly; homely; poor
not favorable; unpropitious
not conformed to the established rules and customs of a game, conflict, test, etc.
having freedom of motion interfered with by collision or entanglement
outside of the base lines
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
Derived terms

Etymology 2

From Old English fūlian.

Verb

foul (third-person singular simple present fouls, present participle fouling, simple past and past participle fouled)

  1. (transitive) To make dirty.
    She's fouled her diaper.
  2. (transitive) To besmirch.
    He's fouled his reputation.
  3. (transitive) To clog or obstruct.
    The hair has fouled the drain.
  4. (transitive, nautical) To entangle.
    The kelp has fouled the prop.
  5. (transitive, basketball) To make contact with an opposing player in order to gain advantage.
    Smith fouled him hard.
  6. (transitive, baseball) To hit outside of the baselines.
    Jones fouled the ball off the facing of the upper deck.
  7. (intransitive) To become clogged.
    The drain fouled.
  8. (intransitive) To become entangled.
    The prop fouled on the kelp.
  9. (intransitive, basketball) To commit a foul.
    Smith fouled within the first minute of the quarter.
  10. (intransitive, baseball) To hit a ball outside of the baselines.
    Jones fouled for strike one.
Translations
to make dirty
to besmirch
to clog or obstruct
to entangle
to make contact with an opposing player in order to gain advantage
to hit outside of the baselines
to become clogged
to become entangled
to commit a foul
To hit a ball outside of the baselines

Noun

foul (plural fouls)

  1. (sports) A breach of the rules of a game, especially one involving inappropriate contact with an opposing player in order to gain an advantage; as, for example, foot-tripping in soccer, or contact of any kind in basketball.
    • 2011 December 10, Arindam Rej, “Norwich 4 - 2 Newcastle”, BBC Sport:
      A second Norwich goal in four minutes arrived after some dire Newcastle defending. Gosling gave the ball away with a sloppy back-pass, allowing Crofts to curl in a cross that the unmarked Morison powered in with a firm, 12-yard header.
      Gosling's plight worsened when he was soon shown a red card for a foul on Martin.
  2. (bowling) A (usually accidental) contact between a bowler and the lane before the bowler has released the ball.
  3. (baseball) A foul ball, a ball which has been hit outside of the base lines.
    Jones hit a foul up over the screen.
Translations
offence in sports

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Last modified on 20 May 2013, at 16:27