foul

foul¹ [faul] adj

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1¦(smell/taste)¦

2 in a foul mood/temper

3¦(air/water)¦

4 foul language

5¦(weather)¦

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[: Old English; Origin: ful]

1.) ¦(SMELL/TASTE)¦

a foul smell or taste is very unpleasant

= ↑disgusting

▪ He woke up with a foul taste in his mouth.

▪ a pile of foul-smelling garbage

▪ He put down his mug of foul-tasting coffee.

2.) in a foul mood/temper

BrE in a very bad temper and likely to get angry

▪ The argument with his mother left Putt in a foul mood.

3.) ¦(AIR/WATER)¦

very dirty

▪ Refugees in the camps are short of food and at risk from foul water.

▪ extractor fans to remove foul air from the tunnel

4.) foul language

rude and offensive words

▪ She claimed she had been subjected to abuse and foul language.

5.) ¦(WEATHER)¦

especially BrE foul weather is stormy and windy, with a lot of rain or snow

▪ Always carry foul weather gear when you go out walking.

>foully adv

>foulness n [U]

→by fair means or foul at ↑fair¹ (11), fall foul of sb/sth at ↑fall¹ (15)

foul ²

foul² v

1.)

a) [T]

if a sports player fouls another player, they do something that is not allowed by the rules

b) [I and T]

to hit a ball outside the limit of the playing area in baseball

2.) also foul up [T] formal

to make something very dirty, especially with waste

▪ rivers and lakes fouled almost beyond recovery by pollutants

foul up phr v

1.) to do something wrong or spoil something by making mistakes

→↑foul-up

▪ We can't afford to foul up this time.

foul sth<=>up

▪ Glen completely fouled up the seating arrangements.

2.) foul sth<=>up

to make something very dirty, especially with waste

▪ He lit a cigarette and started to foul up the air with stinging yellow smoke.

foul ³

foul³ n

1.) an action in a sport that is against the rules

▪ Wright was booked for a foul on the goalkeeper.

2.) a hit in baseball which goes outside the limits of the playing area