foul : Idioms & Phrases


Foul anchor

  • . (Naut.) See under Anchor.
Webster 1913

Foul ball

  • noun (baseball) a ball struck with the bat so that it does not stay between the lines (the foul lines) that define the width of the playing field
WordNet
  • (Baseball), a ball that first strikes the ground outside of the foul ball lines, or rolls outside of certain limits.
Webster 1913

Foul ball lines

  • (Baseball), lines from the home base, through the first and third bases, to the boundary of the field.
Webster 1913

Foul berth

  • (Naut.), a berth in which a ship is in danger of fouling another vesel.
Webster 1913

Foul bill, ∨ Foul bill of health

  • a certificate, duly authenticated, that a ship has come from a place where a contagious disorder prevails, or that some of the crew are infected.
Webster 1913

Foul copy

  • a rough draught, with erasures and corrections; opposed to fair or clean copy. "Some writers boast of negligence, and others would be ashamed to show their foul copies." Cowper.
Webster 1913

foul line

  • noun a line from which basketball players take penalty shots
  • noun a line across a bowling alley that a bowler must not cross
  • noun lines through 1st and 3rd base indicating the boundaries of a baseball field
WordNet

foul out

  • verb baseball: hit a ball such that it is caught from an out in foul territory
WordNet

foul play

  • noun unfair or dishonest behavior (especially involving violence)
WordNet

Foul proof

  • an uncorrected proof; a proof containing an excessive quantity of errors.
Webster 1913

foul shot

  • noun an unhindered basketball shot from the foul line; given to penalize the other team for committing a foul
    penalty free throw; charity toss; charity shot; free throw; charity throw.
WordNet

Foul strike

  • (Baseball), a strike by the batsman when any part of his person is outside of the lines of his position.
Webster 1913

foul up

  • verb make a mess of, destroy or ruin
    muck up; blow; botch up; botch; bollix; fumble; mishandle; bollocks; bumble; ball up; bobble; bollocks up; spoil; bollix up; fuck up; fluff; flub; bodge; muff; louse up; mess up; screw up; bungle.
    • I botched the dinner and we had to eat out
    • the pianist screwed up the difficult passage in the second movement
WordNet

foul-mouthed

  • adjective satellite using foul or obscene language
    foul-mouthed.
    • noisy foul-mouthed women all shouting at once
WordNet
Foul"-mouthed` adjective
Definitions
  1. Using language scurrilous, opprobrious, obscene, or profane; abusive.
    So foul-mouthed a witness never appeared in any cause. Addison.
Webster 1913

foul-smelling

  • adjective satellite offensively malodorous
    stinking; foul; foetid; funky; smelly; noisome; fetid; ill-scented.
    • a foul odor
    • the kitchen smelled really funky
WordNet

foul-spoken

  • adjective satellite using foul or obscene language
    foul-mouthed.
    • noisy foul-mouthed women all shouting at once
WordNet
Foul"-spo`ken adjective
Definitions
  1. Using profane, scurrilous, slanderous, or obscene language. Shak.
Webster 1913

foul-up

  • noun an embarrassing mistake
    botch; boo-boo; flub; blooper; blunder; pratfall; boner; fuckup; bungle; bloomer.
WordNet

foul-weather gear

  • noun protective garment that is intended to keep the wearer dry and warm in bad weather
WordNet

personal foul

  • noun a foul that involves unnecessarily rough contact (as in basketball or football)
WordNet

technical foul

  • noun (basketball) a foul that can be assessed on a player or a coach or a team for unsportsmanlike conduct; does not usually involve physical contact during play
    technical.
WordNet

To fall, ∨ run, foul of

  • . See under Fall.
Webster 1913

To fall foul

  • to fall out; to quarrel. Obs. "If they be any ways offended, they fall foul." Burton.
Webster 1913

To fall foul of

  • . (a) (Naut.) To have a collision with; to become entangled with (b) To attack; to make an assault upon.
Webster 1913

To make foul water

  • to sail in such shallow water that the ship's keel stirs the mud at the bottom.
Webster 1913