Antifoul

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Referring to a substance or coating applied to a ship's hull or underwater structure to prevent accumulation of marine organisms such as barnacles and algae
2. Describing a protective layer designed to inhibit the growth and attachment of aquatic life on submerged surfaces, enhancing performance and durability
3. Pertaining to materials or paints used to reduce biofouling on vessels by creating an environment hostile to marine growth on submerged parts of boats or equipment

Etymology: Antifoul is a compound of "anti-" and "foul", and in this case "foul" has a specific nautical sense. To foul a ship's hull is to let weed, barnacles and other marine growth cling to it, which slows the vessel and wears down its performance. An antifoul is the coating applied to the hull to stop that growth, so the word describes a job as much as the paint itself. The word is best understood through that sense of "foul" as a verb for fouling with debris or growth, not the everyday sense of dirty or unpleasant. Sailors have long spoken of a hull as fouled, and the anti- prefix simply marks the paint as the opposite of that condition.

Synonyms: antifouling