foul matter: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal, Technical (Publishing)
Quick answer
What does “foul matter” mean?
In publishing and printing, type or proofs that are heavily marked with corrections and not yet ready for printing.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
In publishing and printing, type or proofs that are heavily marked with corrections and not yet ready for printing.
Any material that is unclean, corrupted, or unsuitable for its intended purpose; in extended figurative use, something morally repulsive or impure.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is used identically in both varieties within the publishing industry. No significant dialectal variation in meaning or usage.
Connotations
Technical and specific, with no additional cultural connotations in either variety.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in both UK and US English, confined primarily to professional publishing contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “foul matter” in a Sentence
The [noun: typesetter/compositor] set from the foul matter.The [noun: editor/proofreader] returned the proofs as foul matter.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “foul matter” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The compositor will foul-matter the galleys before resetting.
- (Note: Very rare verb use)
American English
- The editor had to foul-matter the entire chapter. (Rare)
adverb
British English
- (No standard adverbial use)
American English
- (No standard adverbial use)
adjective
British English
- The foul-matter proofs were stacked in the corner.
- She reviewed the foul-matter pages.
American English
- He sorted the foul-matter galleys from the clean ones.
- The foul-matter copy was full of red ink.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
In a publishing house: 'The typesetter cannot proceed until the editor has finished with the foul matter.'
Academic
In textual criticism or bibliography studies: 'The manuscript's evolution can be traced through the surviving foul matter.'
Everyday
Rarely used. Possible figurative: 'His speech was full of such foul matter I couldn't listen.'
Technical
In printing/publishing workflow: 'Foul matter is set aside and not used for the final imposition.'
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “foul matter”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “foul matter”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “foul matter”
- Using it as a general synonym for 'rubbish' or 'garbage'.
- Confusing it with 'foul language' (брань).
- Misspelling as 'fowl matter'.
- Using in everyday contexts where simpler terms like 'draft' or 'rough copy' are appropriate.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. A first draft is an early version of the text. 'Foul matter' specifically refers to proofs or typeset material that has been heavily marked with corrections and is not fit for final printing.
Its primary meaning is technical. Figuratively, it can describe something morally corrupt or impure (e.g., 'the foul matter of corruption'), but this is a literary extension and not common in everyday speech.
The direct opposite is 'fair copy' or 'clean copy', which refers to the corrected, final version ready for typesetting or reproduction.
The term uses 'foul' in its sense of 'soiled', 'dirty', or 'corrupted'. The pages are 'soiled' with many correction marks, making them unusable in their current state.
In publishing and printing, type or proofs that are heavily marked with corrections and not yet ready for printing.
Foul matter is usually formal, technical (publishing) in register.
Foul matter: in British English it is pronounced /faʊl ˈmætə/, and in American English it is pronounced /faʊl ˈmætər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[None specific to this term]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a football 'foul' that dirties the game; 'foul matter' dirties the clean page with corrections.
Conceptual Metaphor
UNCLEANLINESS IS IMPERFECTION (The marked, imperfect text is seen as dirty or foul).
Practice
Quiz
In which industry is the term 'foul matter' primarily used?