fouling

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfaʊlɪŋ/
• Homophone: fowling

Verb

fouling

1. present participle and gerund of foul
   • 1952 August, “London Transport Fouling Point Indicators”, in Railway Magazine, page 546:

     A new type of fouling point indicator is being tried out by the London Transport Executive. Until now the standard method of indicating the point nearest to a junction of two stabling roads where a train can stand without fouling the adjacent road has been by fixing the letters "FP" [fouling point] to the sleepers of the road concerned.

Noun

fouling (countable and uncountable, plural foulings)

1. The adhesion of a foreign material onto a surface, especially so as to reduce its functionality.
   • 1949, Albert Manucy, “The Era of Artillery § Rifling”, in Artillery Through the Ages[:] A Short Illustrated History of Cannon, Emphasizing Types Used in America‎^[1], Reprint 1985 edition, page 14:

     Probably, rifling evolved from the early observation of the feathers on an arrow-and from the practical results of cutting channels in a musket, originally to reduce fouling, then because it was found to improve accuracy of the shot.

Derived terms

• antifouling
• foulant