— foully , adv.
/fowl/ , adj., fouler, foulest , adv., n., v.
adj.
1. grossly offensive to the senses; disgustingly loathsome; noisome: a foul smell.
2. containing or characterized by offensive or noisome matter: foul air; foul stagnant water.
3. filthy or dirty, as places, receptacles, clothes, etc.
4. muddy, as a road.
5. clogged or obstructed with foreign matter: a foul gas jet.
6. unfavorable or stormy: foul weather.
7. contrary, violent, or unfavorable, as the wind.
8. grossly offensive in a moral sense.
9. abominable, wicked, or vile, as deeds, crime, slander, etc.
10. scurrilous, profane, or obscene; offensive: foul language.
11. contrary to the rules or established usages, as of a sport or game; unfair: a foul blow.
12. Baseball. pertaining to a foul ball or a foul line.
13. limited in freedom of movement by obstruction, entanglement, etc.: a foul anchor.
14. abounding in errors or in marks of correction, as a printer's proof, manuscript, or the like.
15. Naut.
a. (of the underwater portion of a hull) encrusted and impeded with barnacles, seaweed, etc.
b. (of a mooring place) involving inconveniences and dangers, as of colliding with vessels or other objects when swinging with the tide.
c. (of the bottom of a body of water) affording a poor hold for an anchor (opposed to clean ).
16. North Eng. and Scot. not fair; ugly or unattractive.
17. Obs. disfigured.
adv.
18. in a foul manner; vilely; unfairly.
19. Baseball. into foul territory; so as to be foul: It looked like a homer when he hit it, but it went foul.
20. fall foul or afoul of ,
a. to collide with, as ships.
b. to come into conflict with; quarrel.
c. to make an attack; assault.
21. run foul or afoul of , to come into collision or controversy with: to run foul of the press.
n.
22. something that is foul.
23. a collision or entanglement: a foul between two racing sculls.
24. a violation of the rules of a sport or game: The referee called it a foul.
25. Baseball. See foul ball .
v.t.
26. to make foul; defile; soil.
27. to clog or obstruct, as a chimney or the bore of a gun.
28. to collide with.
29. to cause to become entangled or caught, as a rope.
30. to defile; dishonor; disgrace: His reputation had been fouled by unfounded accusations.
31. Naut. (of barnacles, seaweed, etc.) to cling to (a hull) so as to encumber.
32. Baseball. to hit (a pitched ball) foul (often fol. by off or away ): He fouled off two curves before being struck out on a fastball.
v.i.
33. to become foul.
34. Naut. to come into collision, as two boats.
35. to become entangled or clogged: The rope fouled.
36. Sports. to make a foul play; give a foul blow.
37. Baseball. to hit a foul ball.
38. foul one's nest . to dishonor one's own home, family, or the like.
39. foul out ,
a. Baseball. to be put out by hitting a foul ball caught on the fly by a player on the opposing team.
b. Basketball. to be expelled from a game for having committed more fouls than is allowed.
40. foul up , Informal. to cause confusion or disorder; bungle; spoil.
[ bef. 900; (adj. and n.) ME ful, foul, OE ful; c. Goth fuls, ON full, OHG ful; akin to L pus PUS, putere to stink, Gk pýon pus; (adv.) ME fule, foule, deriv. of the adj.; (v.) ME fulen, deriv. of the adj. ]
Syn. 1. repulsive, repellent. 2. fetid, putrid, stinking. 3. unclean, polluted, sullied, soiled, stained, tainted, impure. See dirty. 6. rainy, tempestuous. 7. adverse. 9. base, shameful, infamous. 10. smutty, vulgar, coarse, low. 26. sully, stain, dirty, besmirch, taint, pollute. 30. shame.
Ant. 1. pleasant. 3, 26 . clean. 5, 6 . clear.