Main Entry:

¹foul

Pronunciation:

\ˈfau̇(-ə)l\

Function:

adjective

Etymology:

Middle English, from Old English fūl; akin to Old High German fūl rotten, Latin pus pus, putēre to stink, Greek pyon pus

Date:

before 12th century

1 a: offensive to the senses : loathsome b: filled or covered with offensive matter2: full of dirt or mud3 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>6dialect British : homely, ugly7 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 : entangled12: being outside the foul lines in baseball

synonyms see dirty

— foul·ly \ˈfau̇(l)-lē\ adverb

— foul·ness noun