foul

comparative fouler · superlative foulest · alternative obsolete foule

1. Covered with, or containing unclean matter; dirty.

   A well is foul with polluted water.

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   This cloth is too foul to use as a duster.

   His foul hands got dirt all over the kitchen.

   The air was so foul nobody could breathe.

   A ship's bottom is foul when overgrown with barnacles

   It was, however, most interesting work, and the moulders themselves were a decent crowd, never tired of making jokes about themselves such as the hoary one that moulders did not live long, which however ran counter to the other one that no germs could live in a foundry—the atmosphere was too foul.

   1944 November and December, A Former Pupil, “Some Memories of Crewe Works—II”, in Railway Magazine, page 342

2. Obscene, vulgar or abusive.

   The rascal spewed forth a series of foul words.

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   His foul language causes many people to believe he is uneducated.

3. Detestable, unpleasant, loathsome.

   He has a foul set of friends.

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   […]Hast thou forgot / The foul witch Sycorax, who with age and envy / Was grown into a hoop? Hast thou forgot her?

   1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]

   Who first seduced them to that foul revolt?

   1667, John Milton, “Book I”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC

   Cultural norms and social rules regulate whether someone can be among others or will be isolated, whether the sick will be considered foul or acceptable, and whether they are to be pitied or censured.

   1982 March 18, Eric J. Cassel[l], “The Nature of Suffering and the Goals of Medicine”, in The New England Journal of Medicine, volume 306, number 11, →DOI, page 642

   Synonyms: shameful, odious, wretched, frightful

4. Disgusting, repulsive; causing disgust.

   This foul food is making me retch.

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   There was a foul smell coming from the toilet.

   Synonyms: rank, frightful

5. obsoleteUgly; homely; poor.

   Let us, like merchants, show our foulest wares.

   c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]

6. Unpleasant, stormy or rainy. (of the weather)

   Some foul weather is brewing.

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   So foul a sky clears not without a storm.

   c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]

7. Dishonest or not conforming to the established rules and customs of a game, conflict, test, etc.

   Foul play is not suspected.

8. nauticalEntangled and therefore restricting free movement, not clear.

   We've got a foul anchor.

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   A rope could get foul while it is being paid out.

9. engineering(with "of") Positioned on, in, or near enough to (a specified area) so as to obstruct it.

   The bus had stopped just foul of the north track at the Erindale Station Road public railway crossing […] With the bus stationary, but still foul of the north track, the train struck one of its front mirrors.

   2015, Transportation Safety Board of Canada, Railway Investigation Report R13T0192

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   Ten of the freight train's wagons had derailed, two of them foul of the Down Fast. At 2308, the TPO struck one of them, causing the locomotive (86239) to jack-knife and turn so that it was almost touching the end wall of a house in The Russetts, a new-build row that sat close to the line.

   2026 March 18, Greg Morse, “1996 crash driving freight reforms”, in RAIL, number 1057, page 50

10. ball gamesOutside of the base lines; in foul territory.

    Jones hit foul ball after foul ball.

present singular third person fouls · participle present fouling · participle past fouled · past fouled · alternative obsolete foule

1. transitiveTo make dirty.

   She's fouled her diaper.

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   to foul the face or hands with mire

   Synonyms: befoul, dirty, besmirch, assoil, beclart, bedaub, bedirty, imbrue (especially with blood)

2. transitiveTo besmirch.

   He's fouled his reputation.

   Synonyms: denigrate, diss, traduce, assassinate, asperse, backbite, badmouth, befoul

3. intransitivetransitiveTo obstruct, block, or otherwise interfere with (something), for example by clogging (a drain, gun barrel, chimney, etc) or by being in the way of (a gunshot, etc).

   The hair has fouled the drain.

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   The recent opening of the bridge at the south end of Lincoln Station has enabled trains to take water there without fouling the level crossings at both ends of the platforms.

   1959 November 28, P. W. B. Semmens, “Sunday Diversions on the East Coast Main Line”, in Railway Magazine, page 759

   As a result of the accident at Southend Airport when a Hermes aircraft overshot the runway and fouled the down Shenfield to Southend Victoria line between Rochford and Prittlewell, the Eastern Region is considering warning arrangements, which have already been provided on some lines running past aerodromes.

   1961 November, “Talking of Trains: Aircraft on rail tracks”, in Trains Illustrated, page 650

   Unbelievable. Nearly all shots were fouled by twigs or branches.

   2013, Miles Johannesburg, The Airgun Hunters Chronicles

   Porterfield's 5" guns were of little use as their shots were fouled by the other task group warships down range.

   2018 September 21, Martin Irons, Phalanx Against the Divine Wind: Protecting the Fast Carrier Task Force During World War 2, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 217

   “You were lucky the shot was fouled,” said a dispassionate voice.

   2020, Yoon Ha Lee, Phoenix Extravagant, start of chapter 21

   Synonyms: choke, clog, impede, barricade, block, choke, clog, close off

4. transitivenauticalTo entangle.

   The kelp has fouled the prop.

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   The Indian's heart was sore for his boat; it looked as if nothing could save her. She was drifting more slowly now, her propeller fouled in kelp.

   1941, Emily Carr, chapter 18, in Klee Wyck

   Synonyms: ensnare, snarl, enmesh, ensnare, ensnarl, entangle, implicate, imply

5. transitiveball gamesTo make a play, such as a strong contact with an opposing player in order to gain advantage, that is deemed by the referee to have contravened the rules.

   Smith fouled him hard.

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   The Gunners dominated for long periods but, against the run of play, Denilson fouled Max Gradel and Robert Snodgrass put Leeds ahead from the spot.

   2011 January 8, Chris Bevan, “Arsenal 1 - 1 Leeds”, in BBC

6. intransitiveball gamesTo commit a foul.

   Smith fouled within the first minute of the quarter.

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   State begins fouling and UCLA misses a couple of front-end free throws on one-and-ones.

   2009, Brandon Lang, Stanley Cohen, Beating the Odds: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of a Sports Handicapper, →ISBN

7. transitiveball gamesTo hit outside of the baselines.

   Jones fouled the ball off the facing of the upper deck.

8. intransitiveball gamesTo hit a ball outside of the baselines.

   Jones fouled for strike one.

9. intransitiveTo become clogged.

   The drain fouled.

10. intransitiveTo become entangled.

    The prop fouled on the kelp.

11. To come into contact or collide with.

    The full capacity, however, requires a hopper of a size that takes the wagon body up to 11ft 11½in above rail level, which would foul many existing colliery screens.

    1963 July, “News and Comment: The future of coal by rail”, in Modern Railways, page 5

plural fouls · alternative obsolete foule

1. hobbiesA breach of the rules of a game, especially one involving inappropriate contact with an opposing player in order to gain an advantage; for example, tripping someone up in soccer, or contact of any kind in basketball.

   Even though we were swept, we did outstat the Fast Breakers in one category: they had six technical fouls for the series (three for Bibby, two for Matthews, and one for Shouse), and we totaled nine (three each for Mannion and me, one each for Jose Slaughter, Lewis, and Lamp).

   2011, Charley Rosen, Crazy Basketball: A Life In and Out of Bounds, Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, →ISBN, page 216

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   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.

   2011 December 10, Arindam Rej, “Norwich 4 - 2 Newcastle”, in BBC Sport

2. bowlingA (usually accidental) contact between a bowler and the lane before the bowler has released the ball.
3. ball gamesA foul ball, a ball which has been hit outside of the base lines.

   Jones hit a foul up over the screen.

4. fishingA tangle or entanglement.

   The baits are now cast clear of the boat, the lead being thrown into the water away from them; for if dropped on the snood, as I have seen done by many unthinking persons who have only been accustomed to chopstick lines, a foul is the natural result.

   1875, J.C. Wilcocks, The Sea-Fisherman, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., page 62