Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Foul
Foul
(foul)
, Adj.
[
Com
Fouler par.
(-ẽr)
; sup
erl.
Foulest
.] [OE.
foul
, ful
, AS. fūl
; akin to D. vuil
, G. faul
rotten, OHG. fūl
, Icel. fūl
foul, fetid; Dan. fuul
, Sw. ful
foul, Goth. fūls
fetid, Lith. puti
to be putrid, L. putere
to stink, be putrid, pus
pus, Gr. πύον
pus, to cause to rot, Skr. pūy
to stink. √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
disease5.
Ugly; homely; poor.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Let us, like merchants, show our
foulest
wares. Shakespeare
6.
Not favorable; unpropitious; not fair or advantageous;
as, a
; cloudy or rainy; stormy; not fair; – said of the weather, sky, etc. foul
wind; a foul
roadSo
foul
a sky clears not without a storm. Shakespeare
7.
Not conformed to the established rules and customs of a game, conflict, test, etc.; unfair; dishonest; dishonorable; cheating;
as,
. foul
play8.
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 outFoul anchor
. (Naut.)
See under
– Anchor
. Foul ball
(Baseball)
, a ball that first strikes the ground outside of the foul ball lines, or rolls outside of certain limits.
– Foul ball lines
(Baseball)
, lines from the home base, through the first and third bases, to the boundary of the field.
– Foul berth
(Naut.)
, a berth in which a ship is in danger of fouling another vesel.
– Foul bill
, or Foul bill of health
a certificate, duly authenticated, that a ship has come from a place where a contagious disorder prevails, or that some of the crew are infected.
– Foul copy
, a rough draught, with erasures and corrections; – opposed to fair or clean copy.
“Some writers boast of negligence, and others would be ashamed to show their foul copies.” Cowper.
– Foul proof
, an uncorrected proof; a proof containing an excessive quantity of errors.
– Foul strike
(Baseball)
, a strike by the batsman when any part of his person is outside of the lines of his position.
– To fall foul
, to fall out; to quarrel.
[Obs.]
“If they be any ways offended, they fall foul.” Burton.
– To fall foul of
or To run foul of
See under
– Fall
. To make foul water
, to sail in such shallow water that the ship's keel stirs the mud at the bottom.
Foul
,Verb.
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 mire2.
(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 barnacles4.
To entangle, so as to impede motion;
as, to
; to come into collision with; foul
a rope or cable in paying it outas, one boat
. fouled
the other in a raceFoul
,Verb.
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
Foul
,Noun.
1.
An entanglement; a collision, as in a boat race.
Webster 1828 Edition
Foul
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. Rev. 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
,Verb.
T.