foul

foul1 [ faul ] adjective *

▸ 1 dirty

▸ 2 not allowed by rules

▸ 3 angry

▸ 4 about weather

▸ 5 unpleasant/evil

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) very dirty, or smelling or tasting unpleasant:

What's that foul smell?

The air within the cell was foul.

foul-smelling/foul-tasting etc.: a foul-tasting medicine

2. ) a foul move or throw in a game is one that is not allowed by the rules

3. ) if someone has a foul TEMPER or is in a foul mood, they are angry about something and can be annoyed very easily

4. ) foul weather is very unpleasant, with rain, snow, or wind

5. ) MAINLY BRITISH SPOKEN very bad or unpleasant:

I thought his shirt was foul.

a ) LITERARY evil:

Foul deeds were afoot in the castle.

fall foul of

to do something that annoys someone or breaks a law or rule:

Farmers falling foul of the pesticide law face large fines.

foul language

swear words

╾ foul|ly adverb

=> CRY1, FAIR1

foul

foul 2 [ faul ] verb

1. ) intransitive to do something in a game that is not allowed by the rules

a ) transitive to do something to another player that is not allowed by the rules:

Johnson was fouled while trying to make a shot.

b ) intransitive or transitive to hit a ball outside the limits of the playing area during a game of baseball

2. ) transitive to make something very dirty:

The oil spillage fouled several miles of beaches.

3. ) foul or foul up intransitive or transitive to become twisted around part of a machine, engine, vehicle, etc. so that it cannot move

,foul `out phrasal verb intransitive

in basketball, to be forced to leave a game after committing more than the allowed number of fouls

,foul `up phrasal verb intransitive or transitive

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

2. ) same as FOUL 2 3:

Watch out for driftwood which may foul up the boat's engine.

foul

foul 3 [ faul ] noun count

something that you do in a game or sport that is not allowed by the rules

a. foul or foul ball a ball that has been hit outside the limits of the playing area in a game of baseball