befoul

English

verb
Definitions
  • To make foul; to soil; to contaminate, pollute.
  • (specifically) To defecate on, to soil with excrement.
  • (figuratively) To stain or mar (for example with infamy or disgrace).
  • To entangle or run against so as to impede motion.

Etymology

Prefix from English foul root from Proto-Indo-European *puH- (rotten, foul, rot, stink, pus).

Origin

Proto-Indo-European

*puH-

Gloss

rotten, foul, rot, stink, pus

Concept
Semantic Field

Food and drink

Ontological Category

Property

Emoji
🏚️

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms