1. the action of making something dirty or contaminated
2. the accumulation of unwanted material on a surface, especially marine organisms on ship hulls
Usage: nautical; technical
3. an illegal contact or obstruction in sports
Usage: sports

Examples

• The fouling of the water supply caused serious health concerns.
• Regular cleaning prevents fouling of the equipment.
• Marine fouling reduces a ship’s speed and fuel efficiency.
• Barnacles and algae cause fouling on underwater surfaces.
• The referee called a fouling penalty against the defender.
• Excessive fouling disrupted the flow of the basketball game.