fouling

[ fou-ling ]

/ ˈfaʊ lɪŋ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR fouling ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an encrusted deposit, especially on a submerged object, as the hull of a ship.

Words nearby fouling

foulage, foulard, foulbrood, fouled-up, foulie, fouling, foulmart, foulmouthed, foulness, fouls, foumart

Origin of fouling

1350–1400; Middle English foulinge; see foul, -ing¹

OTHER WORDS FROM fouling

non·foul·ing, adjective

Definition for fouling (2 of 2)

foul

[ foul ]

/ faʊl /

adjective, foul·er, foul·est.

grossly offensive to the senses; disgustingly loathsome; noisome: a foul smell.

containing or characterized by offensive or noisome matter: foul air; foul stagnant water.

filthy or dirty, as places, receptacles, clothes, etc.

muddy, as a road.

clogged or obstructed with foreign matter: a foul gas jet.

unfavorable or stormy: foul weather.

contrary, violent, or unfavorable, as the wind.

grossly offensive in a moral sense.

abominable, wicked, or vile, as deeds, crime, slander, etc.

scurrilous, profane, or obscene; offensive: foul language.

contrary to the rules or established usages, as of a sport or game; unfair: a foul blow.

Baseball. pertaining to a foul ball or a foul line.

limited in freedom of movement by obstruction, entanglement, etc.: a foul anchor.

abounding in errors or in marks of correction, as a printer's proof, manuscript, or the like.

Nautical.

(of the underwater portion of a hull) encrusted and impeded with barnacles, seaweed, etc.
(of a mooring place) involving inconveniences and dangers, as of colliding with vessels or other objects when swinging with the tide.
(of the bottom of a body of water) affording a poor hold for an anchor (opposed to clean).

North England and Scot.. not fair; ugly or unattractive.

Obsolete. disfigured.

adverb

in a foul manner; vilely; unfairly.

Baseball. into foul territory; so as to be foul: It looked like a homer when he hit it, but it went foul.

noun

something that is foul.

a collision or entanglement: a foul between two racing sculls.

a violation of the rules of a sport or game: The referee called it a foul.

Baseball. foul ball.

verb (used with object)

to make foul; defile; soil.

to clog or obstruct, as a chimney or the bore of a gun.

to collide with.

to cause to become entangled or caught, as a rope.

to defile; dishonor; disgrace: His reputation had been fouled by unfounded accusations.

Nautical. (of barnacles, seaweed, etc.) to cling to (a hull) so as to encumber.

Baseball. to hit (a pitched ball) foul (often followed by off or away): He fouled off two curves before being struck out on a fastball.

verb (used without object)

to become foul.

Nautical. to come into collision, as two boats.

to become entangled or clogged: The rope fouled.

Sports. to make a foul play; give a foul blow.

Baseball. to hit a foul ball.

Verb Phrases

foul out,

Baseball. to be put out by hitting a foul ball caught on the fly by a player on the opposing team.
Basketball. to be expelled from a game for having committed more fouls than is allowed.

foul up, Informal. to cause confusion or disorder; bungle; spoil.

Origin of foul

before 900; (adj. and noun) Middle English ful, foul, Old English fūl; cognate with Gothic fuls, Old Norse fūll, Old High German fūl; akin to Latin pūs pus, pūtēre to stink, Greek pýon pus; (adv.) Middle English fule, foule, derivative of the adj.; (v.) Middle English fulen, derivative of the adj.

SYNONYMS FOR foul

1 repulsive, repellent.

2 fetid, putrid, stinking.

3 unclean, polluted, sullied, soiled, stained, tainted, impure.

6 rainy, tempestuous.

7 adverse.

9 base, shameful, infamous.

10 smutty, vulgar, coarse, low.

24 sully, stain, dirty, besmirch, taint, pollute.

28 shame.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR foul ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR foul

1 pleasant.

3, 24 clean.

5, 6 clear.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR foul ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM foul

foul·ly, adverbo·ver·foul, adjectiveo·ver·foul·ly, adverbo·ver·foul·ness, noun

un·foul, adjectiveun·foul·ly, adverbun·fouled, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH foul

foul fowl

synonym study for foul

3. See dirty.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for fouling

You penalized Westby a yard for fouling, I heard; is that so?
The Jester of St. Timothy's|Arthur Stanwood Pier
Decomposition then often takes place, fouling the breath by the escape of the gases.
A System of Practical Medicine By American Authors, Vol. II|Various
“Two lines overboard will be enough, or they will be fouling each other,” observed Truck.
A Yacht Voyage Round England|W.H.G. Kingston
This may happen easily enough—a wave can do it, or even the fouling of the harpoon-line when a seal is struck.
Eskimo Life|Fridtjof Nansen

Getting clear, he took a fresh start and succeeded only in fouling again.
The Rise of Roscoe Paine|Joseph C. Lincoln

British Dictionary definitions for fouling

foul

/ (faʊl) /

adjective

offensive to the senses; revolting

offensive in odour; stinking

charged with or full of dirt or offensive matter; filthy

(of food) putrid; rotten

morally or spiritually offensive; wicked; vile

obscene; vulgarfoul language

not in accordance with accepted standards or established rules; unfairto resort to foul means

(esp of weather) unpleasant or adverse

blocked or obstructed with dirt or foreign mattera foul drain

entangled or impededa foul anchor

(of the bottom of a vessel) covered with barnacles and other growth that slow forward motion

informal unsatisfactory or uninteresting; bada foul book

archaic ugly

noun

sport

a violation of the rules
(as modifier)a foul shot; a foul blow

something foul

an entanglement or collision, esp in sailing or fishing

verb

to make or become dirty or polluted

to become or cause to become entangled or snarled

(tr) to disgrace or dishonour

to become or cause to become clogged or choked

(tr) nautical (of underwater growth) to cling to (the bottom of a vessel) so as to slow its motion

(tr) sport to commit a foul against (an opponent)

(tr) baseball to hit (a ball) in an illegal manner

(intr) sport to infringe the rules

(tr) (of an animal, especially a dog) to defecate ondo not let your dog foul the footpath

to collide with (a boat, etc)

adverb

in a foul or unfair manner

fall foul of

to come into conflict with
nautical to come into collision with

Derived forms of foul

foully, adverb

Word Origin for foul

Old English fūl; related to Old Norse fūll, Gothic fūls smelling offensively, Latin pūs pus, Greek puol pus

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

Idioms and Phrases with fouling

foul

In addition to the idioms beginning with foul

foul one's nest
foul play
foul up

also see:

run afoul of

fouling

noun

Content related to fouling

Words related to fouling

Words nearby fouling

Origin of fouling

OTHER WORDS FROM fouling

Definition for fouling (2 of 2)

adjective, foul·er, foul·est.

adverb

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Verb Phrases

Origin of foul

SYNONYMS FOR foul

ANTONYMS FOR foul

OTHER WORDS FROM foul

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH foul

synonym study for foul

Examples from the Web for fouling

British Dictionary definitions for fouling

adjective

noun

verb

adverb

Derived forms of foul

Word Origin for foul

Idioms and Phrases with fouling