Emily Dickinson Lexicon

FOUL, a. [Sax. ful, faul; D. vuil; G. faul; Dan. fæl. In Ch. with a prefix נבל nabail, to defile. The Syr. with a different prefix, ܛܦܠ tafel, to defile. It coincides in elements with full, and probably the primary sense of both is to put or thrown on, or to stuff, to crowd. See the signification of the word in seaman's language.]

1. Covered with or containing extraneous matter which is injurious, noxious or offensive; filthy; dirty; not clean; as, a foul cloth; foul hands; a foul chimney. My face is foul with weeping. Job xvi.
2. Turbid; thick; muddy; as foul water; a foul stream.
3. Impure; polluted; as, a foul mouth. Shak.
4. Impure; scurrilous; obscene or profane; as, foul words; foul language.
5. Cloudy and stormy; rainy or tempestuous; as foul weather.
6. Impure; defiling; as, a foul disease.
7. Wicked; detestable; abominable; as, a foul deed; a foul spirit. Babylon – the hold of every foul spirit. Rev. xviii.
8. Unfair; not honest; not lawful or according to established rules or customs; as foul play.
9. Hateful; ugly; loathsome. Hast thou forgot / The foul witch Cycorax? Shak.
10. Disgraceful; shameful; as, a foul defeat. Who first seduced them to that foul revolt? Milton.
11. Coarse; gross. They are all for rank and foul feeding. Felton.
12. Full of gross humors or impurities. You perceive the body of our kingdom / How foul it is. Shak.
13. Full of weeds; as, the garden is very foul.
14. Among seamen, entangled; hindered from motion; opposed to clear; as, a rope is foul.
15. Covered with weeds or barnacles; as, the ship has a foul bottom.
16. Not fair; contrary; as, a foul wind.
17. Not favorable or safe; dangerous; as, a foul road or bay. To fall foul, is to rush on with haste, rough force and unseasonable violence. #2. To run against; as, the ship fell foul of her consort. [These latter phrases show that this word is allied to the Fr. fouler, Eng. full, the sense of which is to press.]