verb
foul
To obstruct movement or operation by clogging or entangling.
Thick weeds foul the boat's propeller and stop it from turning.
Etymology
Foul originally describes something dirty or impure. As a verb, it covers making a mechanism unworkable through accumulated matter or entanglement that interferes with free movement.
More examples
- Debris fouls the pump, preventing water from flowing.
- A loose rope fouled the winch during the lift.
- Tangled fishing line keeps fouling the reel.
Forms
foul · fouls · fouled · fouling