Foul definitions

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

FOUL, a.
1. Covered with or containing extraneous matter which is injurious, noxious or offensive; filthy; dirty; not clean; as a foul cloth; foul hands; a foul chimney.
My face is foul with weeping. Job 16.
2. Turbid; thick; muddy; as foul water; a foul stream.
3. Impure; polluted; as a foul mouth.
4. Impure; scurrilous; obscene or profane; as foul words; foul language.
5. Cloudy and stormy; rainy or tempestuous; as foul weather.
6. Impure; defiling; as a foul disease.
7. Wicked; detestable; abominable; as a foul deed; a foul spirit.
Babylon - the hold of every foul spirit. Revelation 18.
8. Unfair; not honest; not lawful or according to established rules or customs; as foul play.
9. Hateful; ugly; loathsome.
Hast thou forgot the foul witch Sycorax.
10. Disgraceful; shameful; as a foul defeat.
Who first seduced them to that foul revolt?
11. Coarse; gross.
They are all for rank and foul feeding.
12. Full of gross humors or impurities.
You perceive the body of our kingdom, how foul it is.
13. Full of weeds; as, the garden is very foul.
14. Among seamen, entangled; hindered from motion; opposed to clear; as, a rope is foul.
15. Covered with weeds or barnacles; as, the ship has a foul bottom.
16. Not fair; contrary; as a foul wind.
17. Not favorable or safe; dangerous; as a foul road or bay.
1. To fall foul, is to rush on with haste, rough force and unseasonable violence.
2. To run against; as, the ship fell foul of her consort.
FOUL, v.t. To make filthy; to defile; to daub; to dirty; to bemire; to soil; as, to foul the clothes; to foul the face or hands. Ezek
34:18.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust; "a disgusting smell"; "distasteful language"; "a loathsome disease"; "the idea of eating meat is repellent to me"; "revolting food"; "a wicked stench" [syn: disgusting, disgustful, distasteful, foul, loathly, loathsome, repellent, repellant, repelling, revolting, skanky, wicked, yucky]
2: offensively malodorous; "a foul odor"; "the kitchen smelled really funky" [syn: fetid, foetid, foul, foul- smelling, funky, noisome, smelly, stinking, ill- scented]
3: violating accepted standards or rules; "a dirty fighter"; "used foul means to gain power"; "a nasty unsporting serve"; "fined for unsportsmanlike behavior" [syn: cheating, dirty, foul, unsporting, unsportsmanlike]
4: (of a baseball) not hit between the foul lines [ant: fair]
5: (of a manuscript) defaced with changes; "foul (or dirty) copy" [syn: dirty, foul, marked-up]
6: characterized by obscenity; "had a filthy mouth"; "foul language"; "smutty jokes" [syn: cruddy, filthy, foul, nasty, smutty]
7: disgustingly dirty; filled or smeared with offensive matter; "as filthy as a pigsty"; "a foul pond"; "a nasty pigsty of a room" [syn: filthy, foul, nasty]
8: especially of a ship's lines etc; "with its sails afoul"; "a foul anchor" [syn: afoul(ip), foul, fouled] n
1: an act that violates the rules of a sport v
1: hit a foul ball
2: make impure; "The industrial wastes polluted the lake" [syn: pollute, foul, contaminate]
3: become or cause to become obstructed; "The leaves clog our drains in the Fall"; "The water pipe is backed up" [syn: clog, choke off, clog up, back up, congest, choke, foul] [ant: unclog]
4: commit a foul; break the rules
5: spot, stain, or pollute; "The townspeople defiled the river by emptying raw sewage into it" [syn: foul, befoul, defile, maculate]
6: make unclean; "foul the water"
7: become soiled and dirty

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Old English f?l; akin to Old High German f?l rotten, Latin pus pus, put?re to stink, Greek pyon pus Date: before 12th century 1. a. offensive to the senses ; loathsome b. filled or covered with offensive matter 2. full of dirt or mud 3. a. morally or spiritually odious ; detestable <a foul crime> b. notably unpleasant or distressing ; wretched, horrid <in a foul mood> 4. obscene, abusive <foul language> 5. a. being wet and stormy b. obstructive to navigation <a foul tide> 6. dialect British homely, ugly 7. a. treacherous, dishonorable <fair means or foul> b. constituting an infringement of rules in a game or sport <a foul blow in boxing> 8. containing marked-up corrections <a foul manuscript> <foul proofs> 9. encrusted, clogged, or choked with a foreign substance <the chimney was foul and smoked badly> 10. being odorous and impure ; polluted <foul air> 11. placed in a situation that impedes physical movement ; entangled 12. being outside the foul lines in baseball Synonyms: see dirty • foully adverb • foulness noun II. noun Date: before 12th century 1. archaic something foul 2. an entanglement or collision especially in angling or sailing 3. a. an infringement of the rules in a game or sport b. free throw 4. foul ball III. verb Date: before 12th century intransitive verb 1. to become or be foul: as a. decompose, rot b. to become encrusted, clogged, or choked with a foreign substance c. to become entangled or come into collision 2. to commit a violation of the rules in a sport or game 3. to hit a foul ball transitive verb 1. to make foul: as a. to make dirty ; pollute b. to tangle or come into collision with c. to encrust with a foreign substance <a ship's bottom fouled with barnacles> d. obstruct, block 2. dishonor, discredit 3. to commit a foul against 4. to hit (a baseball) foul IV. adverb Date: 13th century in a foul manner ; so as to be foul

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj., n., adv., & v. --adj. 1 offensive to the senses; loathsome, stinking. 2 dirty, soiled, filthy. 3 colloq. revolting, disgusting. 4 a containing or charged with noxious matter (foul air). b clogged, choked. 5 morally polluted; disgustingly abusive or offensive (foul language; foul deeds). 6 unfair; against the rules of a game etc. (by fair means or foul). 7 (of the weather) wet, rough, stormy. 8 (of a rope etc.) entangled. 9 (of a ship's bottom) overgrown with weeds, barnacles, etc. --n. 1 Sport an unfair or invalid stroke or piece of play. 2 a collision or entanglement, esp. in riding, rowing, or running. 3 a foul thing. --adv. unfairly; contrary to the rules. --v. 1 tr. & intr. make or become foul or dirty. 2 tr. (of an animal) make dirty with excrement. 3 a tr. Sport commit a foul against (a player). b intr. commit a foul. 4 a tr. (often foll. by up) cause (an anchor, cable, etc.) to become entangled or muddled. b intr. become entangled. 5 tr. jam or block (a crossing, railway line, or traffic). 6 tr. (usu. foll. by up) colloq. spoil or bungle. 7 tr. run foul of; collide with. 8 tr. pollute with guilt; dishonour. Phrases and idioms: foul brood a fatal disease of larval bees caused by bacteria. foul mouth a person who uses foul language. foul play 1 unfair play in games. 2 treacherous or violent activity, esp. murder. foul-up a muddled or bungled situation. Derivatives: foully adv. foulness n. Etymology: OE ful f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Foul Foul, n. In various games or sports, an act done contrary to the rules; a foul stroke, hit, play, or the like.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Foul Foul (foul), n. [See Fowl.] A bird. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Foul Foul (foul), a. [Compar. Fouler (-[~e]r); superl. Foulest.] [OE. foul, ful, AS. f[=u]l; akin to D. vuil, G. faul rotten, OHG. f[=u]l, Icel. f[=u]l foul, fetid; Dan. fuul, Sw. ful foul, Goth. f[=u]ls fetid, Lith. puti to be putrid, L. putere to stink, be putrid, pus pus, Gr. py`on pus, to cause to rot, Skr. p[=u]y to stink. [root]82. Cf. Defile to foul, File to foul, Filth, Pus, Putrid.] 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. My face is foul with weeping. --Job. xvi. 16. 2. Scurrilous; obscene or profane; abusive; as, foul words; foul language. 3. Hateful; detestable; shameful; odious; wretched. ``The foul with Sycorax.'' --Shak. Who first seduced them to that foul revolt? --Milton. 4. Loathsome; disgusting; as, a foul disease. 5. Ugly; homely; poor. [Obs.] --Chaucer. Let us, like merchants, show our foulest wares. --Shak. 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. So foul a sky clears not without a storm. --Shak. 7. Not conformed to the established rules and customs of a game, conflict, test, etc.; unfair; dishonest; dishonorable; cheating; as, foul play. 8. 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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Foul Foul, v. i. 1. To become clogged with burnt powder in the process of firing, as a gun. 2. To become entagled, as ropes; to come into collision with something; as, the two boats fouled.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Foul Foul, n. 1. An entanglement; a collision, as in a boat race. 2. (Baseball) See Foul ball, under Foul, a.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Foul Foul, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fouled; p. pr. & vb. n. Fouling.] 1. To make filthy; to defile; to daub; to dirty; to soil; as, to foul the face or hands with mire. 2. (Mil.) To incrust (the bore of a gun) with burnt powder in the process of firing. 3. To cover (a ship's bottom) with anything that impered its sailing; as, a bottom fouled with barnacles. 4. To entangle, so as to impede motion; as, to foul a rope or cable in paying it out; to come into collision with; as, one boat fouled the other in a race.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(fouler, foulest, fouls, fouling, fouled) 1. If you describe something as foul, you mean it is dirty and smells or tastes unpleasant. ...foul polluted water... The smell was quite foul. = disgusting ADJ 2. Foul language is offensive and contains swear words or rude words. He was sent off for using foul language in a match last Sunday... He had a foul mouth. = filthy ADJ: usu ADJ n 3. If someone has a foul temper or is in a foul mood, they become angry or violent very suddenly and easily. Collins was in a foul mood even before the interviews began. = bad ADJ: usu ADJ n 4. Foul weather is unpleasant, windy, and stormy. ADJ 5. If an animal fouls a place, it drops faeces onto the ground. It is an offence to let your dog foul a footpath. VERB: V n 6. In a game or sport, if a player fouls another player, they touch them or block them in a way which is not allowed according to the rules. Middlesbrough's Jimmy Phillips was sent off for fouling Steve Tilson. VERB: V n 7. A foul is an act in a game or sport that is not allowed according to the rules. He picked up his first booking for a 45th-minute foul on Bull. N-COUNT: oft N on n • Foul is also an adjective. ...a foul tackle. ADJ: ADJ n 8. If you fall foul of someone or run foul of them, you do something which gets you into trouble with them. (mainly BRIT) He had fallen foul of the FBI. PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

foul (raphas; akdthartos):

The verb "to foul" (defile) occurs as the translation of raphas, "to trample" or "muddle" (streams) (Eze 32:2; 34:18); of chalmar, "to burn," "to be red" (Job 16:16, "My face is foul with weeping," the American Standard Revised Version and the English Revised Version, margin "red"); of mirpas, "a treading" (Eze 34:19). The adjective is the translation of akathartos, "unclean," "impure," "wicked" (Mr 9:25; Re 18:2, "foul spirit," the Revised Version (British and American) "unclean"), and of cheimon, "winter," "stormy or foul weather" (Mt 16:3). the Revised Version (British and American) has "The rivers shall become foul" (Isa 19:6) instead of the King James Version "They shall turn the rivers far away," the English Revised Version "The rivers shall stink."

W. L. Walker

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Impure, nasty, squalid, dirty, polluted, filthy, unclean, soiled, tarnished, stained, sullied. 2. Disgusting, loathsome, offensive, noisome. 3. Unfair, dishonorable, underhanded, sinister. 4. Base, scandalous, infamous, vile, wicked, dark, abominable, detestable, disgraceful, shameful, scurvy. 5. Obscene, vulgar, coarse, low. 6. Abusive, insulting, scurrilous, foul-mouthed foul-spoken. 7. Stormy, rainy, cloudy. 8. Turbid, thick, muddy, feculent. 9. Entangled, tangled, in collision.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

To foul a plate with a man, to take a dinner with him.

Moby Thesaurus

Fescennine, Rabelaisian, abase, abeyant, abhorrent, abject, abominable, abuse, abusive, adulterate, adulterated, adverse, affronting, afoul, amoral, angry, apathetic, arrant, asperse, atrocious, awful, bad, bad for, bag, bang, bang into, bar, barfy, base, bawdy, beastly, befoul, beggarly, begrime, belittle, belittling, below contempt, below the belt, benasty, beneath contempt, bent, besmirch, besoil, bind, black, blacken, blamable, blameworthy, blasphemous, block, block up, blockade, blocked, blow, blue, blustery, botch, bound, brackish, brutal, bugger up, bump, bump into, bung, bungle, calumniatory, calumnious, cankered, cannon, carious, carom, carom into, cataleptic, catatonic, catch, caught, caulk, cheesy, chink, choke, choke off, choke up, choked, choked up, clash, clog, clog up, clogged, clogged up, cloudy, cloying, coarse, collide, come into collision, comminatory, concuss, confront each other, congest, congested, constipate, constipated, contaminate, contaminated, contemptible, contumelious, convert, cork, corrupt, costive, cover, crack up, crappy, crash, crash into, criminal, crooked, crude, crummy, crump, crunch, cursing, cyclonic, dam, dam up, damnable, damnatory, dangerous, dark, dash into, dead, debase, debased, decayed, decomposed, defalcate, defamatory, defame, defile, defiled, degrade, degraded, demean, denigrate, denunciatory, deplorable, depraved, deprecative, deprecatory, depreciate, depreciative, depreciatory, derisive, derisory, derogate, derogatory, desecrate, despicable, detestable, devaluate, dire, dirty, disagreeable, discredit, disgrace, disgraceful, disgusting, dishonest, dishonor, dishonorable, disparage, disparaging, divert, dopey, dormant, double-dealing, dreadful, dull, dysphemistic, egregious, embezzle, encounter, enmesh, enmeshed, enormous, ensnare, ensnared, entangle, entangled, entrap, epithetic, evil, excommunicative, excommunicatory, execrable, execratory, fall foul of, fecal, feculent, festering, fetid, fill, fill up, filthy, flagitious, flagrant, flat, flyblown, forbidden, forbidding, foul play, foul up, foul-mouthed, foul-spoken, foul-tongued, fouled, fraudulent, frightful, frowsty, frowy, frowzy, full, fulminatory, fulsome, funky, fusty, gamy, gangrened, gangrenous, ghastly, gloppy, gone bad, goof up, grave, graveolent, grievous, grime, grisly, groggy, gross, grubby, gruesome, gunky, harmful, harpoon, hateful, heavy, heinous, hideous, high, hit, hit against, hook, horrible, horrid, hurt, hurtle, icky, ignoble, ignominious, ill-smelling, illegal, illegality, immodest, immoral, impinge, imprecatory, improper, impure, in abeyance, in suspense, in trouble, inactive, indecent, indelicate, inert, infamous, infarcted, infect, infraction, infringement, iniquitous, injurious, insalubrious, insanitary, insulting, interdicted, invective, ithyphallic, jam, jammed, knavish, knock, knock against, lamentable, land, languid, languorous, lasso, latent, leaden, lewd, licentious, lifeless, little, loathsome, logy, louse up, lousy, low, low-down, lumpen, lurid, maggoty, maladminister, maledictory, maligning, malodorous, mangy, mawkish, mean, measly, meet, mephitic, mesh, mess, mess up, miasmal, miasmic, mildewed, mildewy, misapply, misappropriate, misemploy, miserable, mishandle, mismanage, misuse, moldy, monstrous, morbific, mortified, mouldy, muck up, mucky, muff, musty, nail, nasty, naughty, nauseant, nauseating, nauseous, necrosed, necrotic, nefarious, net, nidorous, noisome, noose, not cricket, not fair, notorious, noxious, objectionable, objurgatory, obnoxious, obscene, obstipate, obstipated, obstruct, obstructed, odious, odorous, off, off color, offensive, olid, ordurous, outrageous, overripe, pack, packed, paltry, passive, pathogenic, peccant, peculate, percuss, perfidious, pervert, pestiferous, petty, phlegmatic, pilfer, pitiable, pitiful, plug, plug up, plugged, plugged up, poisonous, poky, pollute, polluted, poor, pornographic, profane, prohibited, prostitute, puky, putrefacient, putrefactive, putrefied, putrescent, putrid, raging, rainy, rancid, rank, raunchy, raw, reasty, reasy, rebarbative, reechy, reeking, reeky, regrettable, repellent, repelling, reprehensible, reprobate, reptilian, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, ribald, risque, rope, rotten, rotting, rough, rude, ruin, run into, sack, sad, salacious, scabby, scandalous, scatologic, scatological, schlock, scornful, screw up, scrubby, scruffy, scummy, scurfy, scurrile, scurrilous, scurvy, sedentary, septic, shabby, shady, shameful, shitty, shocking, shoddy, sickening, sideswipe, sinful, slabby, slack, slam into, slanderous, sleeping, sleety, slimy, sloppy, sloshy, sludgy, sluggish, slumbering, slushy, smack into, small, smash, smash into, smash up, smear, smellful, smelling, smelly, smirch, smoking-room, smoldering, smooch, smudge, smutty, snafu, snag, snare, snarl, snarled, sniggle, snowy, soil, soiled, soily, sordid, soured, spear, sphacelated, spile, spoil, spoiled, sposhy, squalid, stagnant, stain, stale, stanch, standing, static, stay, stench, stenchy, stinking, stop, stop up, stopped, stopped up, stopper, stopple, storming, stormy, strike, strike against, strong, stuff, stuff up, stuffed, stuffed up, stuffy, suggestive, sulfurous, sully, sultry, suppurating, suppurative, suspended, taint, tainted, take, tame, tangle, tangle up with, tangled, tarnish, tempestuous, terrible, too bad, tornadic, torpid, traitorous, trap, treacherous, turbulent, turned, twist, two-faced, typhonic, typhoonish, ulcerated, unaroused, unchaste, unclean, uncleanly, uncouth, underhanded, unfair, unfairness, unfavorable, unforgivable, unhealthful, unhealthy, unhygienic, unjust, unmentionable, unpardonable, unprintable, unrepeatable, unsanitary, unscrupulous, unspeakable, unsporting, unsportsmanlike, unsportsmanlikeness, unsportsmanliness, unsportsmanly, unwholesome, unworthy, venal, vicious, vile, villainous, violate, violation, vitiate, vituperative, vomity, vulgar, weevily, wet, whomp, wicked, windy, woeful, wormy, worst, worthless, wretched, wrong, yecchy, yucky