Definitions for the word "foul" from multiple English dictionaries.
1. n.
A bird.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
2. superl.
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.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
3. superl.
Scurrilous; obscene or profane; abusive; as, foul words; foul language.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
4. superl.
Hateful; detestable; shameful; odious; wretched.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
5. superl.
Loathsome; disgusting; as, a foul disease.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
6. superl.
Ugly; homely; poor.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
7. superl.
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.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
8. superl.
Not conformed to the established rules and customs of a game, conflict, test, etc.; unfair; dishonest; dishonorable; cheating; as, foul play.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
9. superl.
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.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
10. v. t.
To make filthy; to defile; to daub; to dirty; to soil; as, to foul the face or hands with mire.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
11. v. t.
To incrust (the bore of a gun) with burnt powder in the process of firing.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
12. v. t.
To cover (a ship's bottom) with anything that impered its sailing; as, a bottom fouled with barnacles.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
13. v. t.
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.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
14. v. i.
To become clogged with burnt powder in the process of firing, as a gun.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
15. v. i.
To become entagled, as ropes; to come into collision with something; as, the two boats fouled.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
16. n.
An entanglement; a collision, as in a boat race.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
17. n.
See Foul ball, under Foul, a.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
18. adj.
1 offensive; loathsome, stinking. 2 soiled, filthy. 3 colloq. Disgusting, awful. 4 a noxious (foul air). B clogged, choked. 5 obscenely abusive (foul language). 6 unfair; against the rules (by fair means or foul). 7 (of the weather) rough, stormy. 8 (of a rope etc.) Entangled. n. 1 sport foul stroke or play. 2 collision, entanglement. adv. Unfairly. v. 1 make or become foul. 2 (of an animal) foul with excrement. 3 sport commit a foul against (a player). 4 (often foll. By up) a (cause to) become entangled or blocked. B bungle. 5 collide with. foully adv. Foulness n. [old english]
Source: Oxford English Dictionary, 1884
19. slang
to jostle or bore unfairly in a race. _See_ BORE. To touch any
foreign substance during a race—particularly a boat-race—is to FOUL
it.
Source: The Slang Dictionary, 1864
20. slang
a touch, no matter how slight, of bodies or machinery in a race
of any kind. FOULS in boat-racing are often inevitable, and are not
always the result of boring or any other malicious practice.
Source: The Slang Dictionary, 1864
Dictionary entries nearby:
Additional Info
This page provides a list of definitions and meanings for "foul" from various historical English dictionaries. By displaying multiple definitions, you can compare and
contrast different meanings and nuances of a word, phrase, or slang. You can also see the changes in meaning of "foul" over time by viewing the definitions from different dictionaries published at different times in history.
The page also includes other information to help users expand their vocabulary and understand the context of the word.
Important Notes
The definitions for words, phrases and slang (such as "foul") in this dictionary are sourced from multiple sources - including sources historical in nature. The sources may contain outdated, inaccurate or even offensive information when viewed from a modern context. It is important to consider the date the dictionary was published and view such content from a historical perspective and consider that the meanings, interpretations and usage of words may have evolved over time. Users should cross-reference this information with contemporary sources for a more complete understanding.
This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by any brands mentioned on the page. Trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners and are used for identification purposes only.