English

Pronunciation
foul, /fa�l/, /<tt>faUl</tt>/
audio|en-us-foul.ogg|Audio (US)
:Rhymes:English:-a�l|Rhymes: -a�l
Homophones: fowl

Etymology 1
From OE. fūl.

Adjective
en-adj

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.

1. Scurrilous; obscene or profane; abusive; as, foul words; foul language.

#: The rascal spewed forth a series of foul pronouncements.

1. Hateful; detestable; shameful; odious; wretched.

#: He has a foul set of friends.

1. Loathsome; disgusting; as, a foul disease.

#: This foul food is making me wretch.

1. Ugly; homely; poor.
2. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. baseball Outside of the base lines.

#: Jones hit foul ball after foul ball.

Translations
trans-top|Covered with, or containing, extraneous matter which is injurious, noxious, offensive, or obstructive
Finnish: likainen, saastainen, epäpuhdas
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|Scurrilous; obscene or profane; abusive; as, foul words; foul language
Finnish: siivoton, ruma
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|Hateful; detestable; shameful; odious; wretched
Finnish: häijy
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|Loathsome; disgusting; as, a foul disease
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|Ugly; homely; poor
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|Not favorable; unpropitious
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|Not conformed to the established rules and customs of a game, conflict, test, etc.
Finnish: sääntöjen vastainen
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|Having freedom of motion interfered with by collision or entanglement
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|Outside of the base lines
trans-mid
trans-bottom

Translations to be checked
checktrans

ttbc|Scottish Gaelic: breun, salach, gràineil
mid

Derived terms
afoul
befoul

Etymology 2
From OE. fūlian.

Verb
en-verb

1. transitive To make dirty.

#: He's fouled her diapers.

1. transitive To besmirch.

#: He's fouled his reputation.

1. transitive To clog or obstruct.

#: The hair has fouled the drain.

1. transitive|nautical To entangle.

#: The kelp has fouled the prop.

1. transitive|basketball To make contact with an opposing player in order to gain advantage.

#: Smith fouled him hard.

1. transitive|baseball To hit outside of the baselines.

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

1. intransitive To become clogged.

#: ''The drain fouled.

1. intransitive To become entangled.

#: The prop fouled on the kelp.

1. intransitive|basketball To commit a foul.

#: Smith fouled within the first minute of the quarter.

1. intransitive|baseball To hit a ball outside of the baselines.

#: Jones fouled for strike one.

Translations
trans-top|to make dirty
Finnish: liata, tahrata
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|to besmirch
Finnish: tahrata
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|to clog or obstruct
Finnish: tukkia
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|to entangle
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|to make contact with an opposing player in order to gain advantage
Finnish: rikkoa (sääntö|sääntöjä)
German: foulen : de:foulen|(de)
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|To hit outside of the baselines
Finnish: lyödä ulos
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|To become clogged
Finnish: tukkeutua
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|To become entangled
Finnish: sotkeutua
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|To commit a foul
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|To hit a ball outside of the baselines
trans-mid
trans-bottom

Noun
en-noun

1. basketball The act of making contact with an opposing player in order to gain advantage.
2. baseball A foul ball, a ball which has been hit outside of the base lines.

#:Jones hit a foul up over the screen.

Translations
trans-top|offence in sports
Czech: faul m
Finnish: rike, rikkominen
trans-mid
Hungarian: szabálytalanság, falt (informal)
trans-bottom

Translations to be checked
checktrans-top
ttbc|German: Foul n : de:Foul|(de)
trans-bottom

es:foul
fa:foul
fr:foul
io:foul
it:foul
ru:foul
simple:foul
te:foul
vi:foul
zh:foul

• 2007-12-27 18:48 - DCDuring - /* Etymology 2 */ combine trans and intrans senses and trans

Full Revision History