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 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

— foul·ly \ˈfau̇(l)-lē\ adverb

— foul·ness noun