foul

Everyday

1. Very dirty, smelly or unpleasant: «a foul smell». tree →
2. (in sport) An action that breaks the rules, like tripping or pushing another player. tree →
3. (verb) To break a rule against a player in a game. tree →
4. (verb) To make something dirty: «Dogs must not foul the park». tree →
5. (of weather or mood) Very bad: «foul weather», «a foul temper». tree →
6. Rude: «foul language». tree →

In the lessons

In sport (football/soccer, basketball, netball) a foul gives the other team a free kick, a free throw or a penalty. In everyday safety: a foul smell can warn of rotten food or gas. Phrases: «commit a foul», «foul play» (cheating, or a crime), «foul weather», «foul language», «fall foul of» (get into trouble with).

Examples

• The rubbish bin has a foul smell. tree →
• The referee blew the whistle for a foul. tree →
• He was fouled just outside the box. tree →
• Please clean up after your dog so it does not foul the path. tree →
• We stayed inside because of the foul weather. tree →
• Foul language is not allowed in class. tree →
• She was in a foul mood after losing her keys. tree →
• In basketball, after five fouls a player must leave the game. tree →
• The foul vapour of the beast and horror at its strangeness now overcame the prince, and he fainted. tree →

Note

Homophone: «fowl» (a bird like a chicken) sounds the same — «foul» is bad/dirty, «fowl» is a bird. Comparative: fouler, foulest. In baseball «a foul ball» is a ball hit outside the lines.

In Jewish tradition

It means bad-smelling and spoiled. It describes the Nile after the plague of blood.

Interpretation. The plague of blood is read as striking the river that the Egyptians honored, showing God's power over their gods.

Examples

• And the fish that are in the river shall die, and the river shall become foul; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink water from the river.' (Torah EXO.7.18, JPS 1917) tree →
• And the fish that were in the river died; and the river became foul, and the Egyptians could not drink water from the river; and the blood was throughout all the land of Egypt. (Torah EXO.7.21, JPS 1917) tree →
• And the rivers shall become foul; the streams of Egypt shall be minished and dried up; the reeds and flags shall wither. (Prophets ISA.19.6, JPS 1917) tree →
• And as for My sheep, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet, and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet. (Prophets EZK.34.19, JPS 1917) tree →
• Behold, at My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; their fish become foul, because there is no water, and die for thirst. (Prophets ISA.50.2, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Homophone: «fowl» (a bird like a chicken) sounds the same — «foul» is bad/dirty, «fowl» is a bird. Comparative: fouler, foulest. In baseball «a foul ball» is a ball hit outside the lines.