unfoul

English

Etymology

From un- +‎ foul.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʌnˈfaʊl/

Verb

unfoul (third-person singular simple present unfouls, present participle unfouling, simple past and past participle unfouled)

1. (transitive) To free (something snagged or fouled).
   • 1984, Mario Vargas Llosa, translated by Helen R. Lane, The War of the End of the World, Folio Society, published 2012, page 476:

     ‘We've lost quite a few men,’ the old man says as he energetically unfouls his rifle and carefully loads it with black powder that he extracts from a horn.

   • 2002, David Thomas Murphy, German Exploration of the Polar World: A History, 1870-1940, page 128:

     How one repairs a broken sled, the quickest way to unfoul the dog lines, how to prevent the dogs from tangling the lines after stops, and so on.

Adjective

unfoul (comparative more unfoul, superlative most unfoul)

1. Not foul; fair.