Befoulments

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act or process of making something dirty or unclean
2. A state of pollution or contamination affecting surfaces or substances
3. The result of sullied conditions that degrade quality or appearance

Etymology: "Befoulments" is the plural of "befoulment," a noun formed from the verb "befoul" plus the suffix "-ment," which turns a verb into a noun for its action or result. The verb combines the prefix "be-," which here intensifies the action, with "foul," from Old English "fūl," meaning dirty, filthy or rotten. The root sense is physical: something foul is soiled, rotten or offensive, and to befoul it is to make it thoroughly so. The plural names separate instances of such degraded conditions, rather than the process as a whole.

Synonyms: pollutions, contaminations