befoul

[ bih-foul ]

/ bɪˈfaʊl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR befoul ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to make dirty or filthy; soil; defile; sully: a bird that befouls its own nest.

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Origin of befoul

First recorded in 1275–1325, befoul is from the Middle English word bi-foulen. See be-, foul

OTHER WORDS FROM befoul

be·foul·er, nounbe·foul·ment, noun

Words nearby befoul

before the wind, before you can say jack robinson, before you know it, beforehand, beforetime, befoul, befriend, befuddle, beg, beg off, beg the question

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for befoul

Adolf Hitler, despite being the most evil force ever to befoul mankind, was also a kind and conscientious employer.
Secrets of Nazi Secretaries|Andrew Roberts|August 30, 2011|DAILY BEAST
He, the officer, must befoul his person and derange his hours of rest and recreation, that others may enjoy.
Shandygaff|Christopher Morley
Can anything be so bad as the living bush which bleeds and talks, or the Harpies who befoul Aeneas's dinner?
Life and Letters of Lord Macaulay|George Otto Trevelyan
Self-consciousness compels such creatures to befoul their origin.
The Remarkable History of Sir Thomas Upmore, bart., M.P., formerly known as "Tommy Upmore"|R. D. Blackmore

I could not prevent myself from saying, "Do you think it is nice to befoul your own nest?"
My Actor-Husband|Anonymous
They will close in on you tomorrow—you and all the dirty vermin that befoul these cliffs.
Wappin' Wharf|Charles S. Brooks

British Dictionary definitions for befoul

befoul

/ (bɪˈfaʊl) /

verb

(tr) to make dirty or foul; soil; defile

Derived forms of befoul

befouler, nounbefoulment, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

befoul

verb (used with object)

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CAN YOU ACE THIS QUIZ ABOUT “COMPLIMENT” VS. “COMPLEMENT”?

Origin of befoul

OTHER WORDS FROM befoul

Words nearby befoul

Words related to befoul

Example sentences from the Web for befoul

British Dictionary definitions for befoul

verb

Derived forms of befoul