foul balln.
/ˌfaʊl ˈbɔːl/, U.S. /ˌfaʊl ˈbɔl/, /ˌfaʊl ˈbɑl/ 1. In various sports and games, esp. bowling: a ball played in a manner which contravenes the rules, a disallowed ball.
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1833 Yorks. Gaz. 24 Aug. Cricket... Foul balls . . . 3. Wide balls . . . 2.
1835 Bell's Life in London 10 May At Four Corners, if a foul ball strikes a pin while falling, is that fair or foul?
1893 H. Chadwick Reliable Bk. Outdoor Games 37/2 [In handball] when a ball is taken foul and the players play it or not, it shall be decided as a foul ball.
2010 Addis Fortune (Ethiopia) (Nexis) Nov. A player is not permitted to cross this line, even after releasing the ball, even accidentally. The consequence would typically be forfeiting the points scored from the foul ball.
2.
a. Baseball and Softball. A batted ball which lands, comes to rest, is touched, etc., in foul territory (see foul territory n.), so that by rule the batter is not permitted to advance to first base. Cf. fair ball n.Foul balls are counted as strikes, although in most circumstances they will not be counted as a third strike causing the player to be out.
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society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > baseball > [noun] > fouls or errors
balk1845
foul ball1855
block ball1891
interference1927
rock1937
1855 Spirit of Times 12 May 147/2 Three balls being struck at and missed, and the last one caught, is a hand out; if not caught, is considered fair, and the striker bound to run. Tips and foul balls do not count.
1858 Weekly Georgia Tel. (Macon) 16 Nov. The umpire..shall take especial care to declare all foul balls and baulks immediately upon their occurrence.
1970 G. Scott-Heron Vulture (1996) ii. 103 I was watching Orlando Cepeda chase a foul ball on the TV screen.
1995 Coloradoan (Fort Collins) 9 Apr. d2/4 I'm just a spectator who eats a lot of snacks, and fears getting beaned by a foul ball.
2017 Breeze (James Madison Univ.) (Nexis) 24 June 1 It was called a foul ball by the third-base umpire, looking from short left field.
b. U.S. slang. An unpleasant or objectionable person.
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the mind > goodness and badness > badness or evil > offensiveness > offensive person > [noun]
vermin1581
crab-staffa1603
crab1825
crab-stick1840
rotter1879
undesirable1883
greaser1900
foul ball1918
jabroni1919
cockhead1972
nutsack1984
the mind > emotion > suffering > displeasure > [noun] > unpleasantness > unpleasant person
let-gamec1374
displeaser1641
troll1697
spoil-sport1801
pill1865
foul ball1918
Scrooge1940
slag1943
grinch1966
grot1970
knob jockey1989
1918 Boston Evening Globe 31 Dec. (Latest Evening ed.) 7/4 He knows that he is a foul ball. But he refuses to turn over a new leaf.
1961 W. Stegner Shooting Star xxiv. 283 In seven months any girl, unless she's a real foul ball, ought to meet someone.
1999 P. Straub Mr. X xiv. 60 After the Infantry intake, most transfers are foul balls... They got bounced out of so many schools their parents just want to keep them in line.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2021; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1833