befile

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• defile — ‘make dirty’ [14] and defile ‘narrow pass’ [17] are distinct words in English. The former has a rather complex history. It was originally acquired in the 13th century as defoul, borrowed from Old French defouler ‘trample down, injure’; this was a …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

• foul — [OE] The underlying meaning of foul is probably ‘rotten, putrid’, with overtones of ‘evilsmelling’. It goes back to an Indo European *pu , which may originally have been inspired by the same reaction as produced the English exclamation of disgust …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

• defile — {{11}}defile (n.) narrow passage, 1640s, especially in a military sense, a narrow passage down which troops can march only in single file, from Fr. défilé, n. use of pp. of défiler march by files (17c.), from de off (see DE (Cf. de )) + file row …   Etymology dictionary

• defile — defile1 [dɪ fʌɪl] verb sully, mar, or spoil. ↘desecrate or profane (something sacred). ↘archaic rape or sexually assault (a woman). Derivatives defilement noun defiler noun Origin ME: alt. of obs. defoul, from OFr. defouler trample down ,… …   English new terms dictionary

• defile — I. /dəˈfaɪl / (say duh fuyl) verb (t) (defiled, defiling) 1. to make foul, dirty, or unclean; pollute; taint. 2. to violate the chastity of. 3. to make ceremonially unclean; desecrate. 4. to sully (a reputation, etc.). {alteration of befile (Old… …  

• defile — ‘make dirty’ [14] and defile ‘narrow pass’ [17] are distinct words in English. The former has a rather complex history. It was originally acquired in the 13th century as defoul, borrowed from Old French defouler ‘trample down, injure’; this was a …   Word origins

• foul — [OE] The underlying meaning of foul is probably ‘rotten, putrid’, with overtones of ‘evilsmelling’. It goes back to an Indo European *pu , which may originally have been inspired by the same reaction as produced the English exclamation of disgust …   Word origins

• defile — 1. v.tr. 1 make dirty; pollute, befoul. 2 corrupt. 3 desecrate, profane. 4 deprive (esp. a woman) of virginity. 5 make ceremonially unclean. Derivatives: defilement n. defiler n. Etymology: ME defoul f. OF defouler trample down, outrage (as DE ,… …   Useful english dictionary

• befyle — var. of befile v. Obs. to befoul …   Useful english dictionary

• bevele — early Kentish form of befile …   Useful english dictionary