Foul vs. Fowl — What's the Difference?

Offensive to the senses, especially through having a disgusting smell or taste or being dirty

Fowl are birds belonging to one of two biological orders, namely the gamefowl or landfowl (Galliformes) and the waterfowl (Anseriformes). Anatomical and molecular similarities suggest these two groups are close evolutionary relatives; together, they form the fowl clade which is scientifically known as Galloanserae (initially termed Galloanseri) (Latin gallus (“rooster”) + ānser (“goose”)).

Wicked or immoral

A gallinaceous bird kept for its eggs and flesh; a domestic cock or hen.

Containing or full of noxious matter; polluted

Any of various birds of the order Galliformes, especially the common, widely domesticated chicken (Gallus domesticus).

(of the weather) wet and stormy

A bird, such as a duck, goose, turkey, or pheasant, that is used as food or hunted as game.

(in sport) an unfair or invalid stroke or piece of play, especially one involving interference with an opponent

The flesh of such birds used as food.

A disease in the feet of cattle

A bird of any kind.

Contrary to the rules; unfairly.

To hunt, trap, or shoot wildfowl.

Make foul or dirty; pollute

(archaic) A bird.

(in sport) commit a foul against (an opponent)

A bird of the order Galliformes, including chickens, turkeys, pheasant, partridges and quail.

(of a ship) collide with or interfere with the passage of (another)

Birds which are hunted or kept for food, including Galliformes and also waterfowl of the order Anseriformes such as ducks, geese and swans, together forming the clade Galloanserae.

Offensive to the senses; revolting

To hunt fowl.

Having a bad odor or taste

Any bird; esp., any large edible bird.

Rotten or putrid

Any domesticated bird used as food, as a hen, turkey, duck; in a more restricted sense, the common domestic cock or hen (Gallus domesticus).

Containing dirt, impurities, or other foreign matter; foul water.

To catch or kill wild fowl, for game or food, as by shooting, or by decoys, nets, etc.

Clogged or bestrewn with unwanted material

A domesticated gallinaceous bird though to be descended from the red jungle fowl

Overgrown or encrusted with weeds, barnacles, or other organisms. Used of a ship's bottom.

The flesh of a bird or fowl (wild or domestic) used as food

Entangled or enwrapped

Hunt fowl

Morally detestable; wicked

Hunt fowl in the forest

Vulgar or obscene

Violating accepted standards or rules; dishonorable

Very disagreeable or displeasing; horrid

Inclement or unfavorable

Irritable or upset

(Sports) Contrary to the rules of a game or sport

(Baseball) Outside the foul lines

Marked with editorial changes or corrections

(Archaic) Ugly; unattractive.

(Sports) An infraction or a violation of the rules of play.

(Baseball) A foul ball.

An entanglement or a collision.

An instance of clogging or obstructing.

A foul copy of a document.

In a foul manner.

To make dirty or foul; pollute.

To bring into dishonor; besmirch.

To clog or obstruct.

To entangle or catch (a rope, for example).

To encrust (a ship's hull) with foreign matter, such as barnacles.

(Sports) To commit a foul against.

(Baseball) To hit (a ball) outside the foul lines.

To become foul.

(Sports) To commit a foul.

(Baseball) To hit a ball outside the foul lines

To become entangled or twisted

To become clogged or obstructed.

Covered with, or containing unclean matter; dirty.

(of words or a way of speaking) Obscene, vulgar or abusive.

Detestable, unpleasant, loathsome.

Disgusting, repulsive; causing disgust.

(obsolete) Ugly; homely; poor.

Unpleasant, stormy or rainy.

Dishonest or not conforming to the established rules and customs of a game, conflict, test, etc.

(nautical) Entangled and therefore restricting free movement, not clear.

(technical) (with "of") Positioned on, in, or near enough to (a specified area) so as to obstruct it.

(baseball) Outside of the base lines; in foul territory.

(transitive) To make dirty.

(transitive) To besmirch.

(transitive) To clog or obstruct.

To entangle.

To make contact with an opposing player in order to gain advantage.

To commit a foul.

To hit outside of the baselines.

To hit a ball outside of the baselines.

(intransitive) To become clogged.

(intransitive) To become entangled.

To come into contact or collide with.

(sports) A breach of the rules of a game, especially one involving inappropriate contact with an opposing player in order to gain an advantage; for example, tripping someone up in soccer, or contact of any kind in basketball.

(bowling) A (usually accidental) contact between a bowler and the lane before the bowler has released the ball.

(baseball) A foul ball, a ball which has been hit outside of the base lines.

A bird.

An entanglement; a collision, as in a boat race.

In various games or sports, an act done contrary to the rules; a foul stroke, hit, play, or the like.

Covered with, or containing, extraneous matter which is injurious, noxious, offensive, or obstructive; filthy; dirty; not clean; polluted; nasty; defiled; as, a foul cloth; foul hands; a foul chimney; foul air; a ship's bottom is foul when overgrown with barnacles; a gun becomes foul from repeated firing; a well is foul with polluted water.

Scurrilous; obscene or profane; abusive; as, foul words; foul language.

Hateful; detestable; shameful; odious; wretched.

Loathsome; disgusting; as, a foul disease.

Ugly; homely; poor.

Not favorable; unpropitious; not fair or advantageous; as, a foul wind; a foul road; cloudy or rainy; stormy; not fair; - said of the weather, sky, etc.

Not conformed to the established rules and customs of a game, conflict, test, etc.; unfair; dishonest; dishonorable; cheating; as, foul play.

Having freedom of motion interfered with by collision or entanglement; entangled; - opposed to clear; as, a rope or cable may get foul while paying it out.

To make filthy; to defile; to daub; to dirty; to soil; as, to foul the face or hands with mire.

To incrust (the bore of a gun) with burnt powder in the process of firing.

To cover (a ship's bottom) with anything that impered its sailing; as, a bottom fouled with barnacles.

To entangle, so as to impede motion; as, to foul a rope or cable in paying it out; to come into collision with; as, one boat fouled the other in a race.

To become clogged with burnt powder in the process of firing, as a gun.

To become entagled, as ropes; to come into collision with something; as, the two boats fouled.

An act that violates of the rules of a sport

Hit a foul ball

Make impure;

Become or cause to become obstructed;

Commit a foul; break the rules

Spot, stain, or pollute;

Make unclean;

Become soiled and dirty

Highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust;

Offensively malodorous;

Violating accepted standards or rules;

(of a baseball) not hit between the foul lines

(of a manuscript) defaced with changes;

Thoroughly unpleasant;

Characterized by obscenity;

Disgustingly dirty; filled or smeared with offensive matter;

Especially of a ship's lines etc;