fouling-release
|foul-ing-re-lease|
/ˈfaʊlɪŋ rɪˈliːs/
lets fouling come off easily
Etymology
'fouling-release' is a modern compound formed in technical/marine engineering by combining 'fouling' and 'release'. 'Fouling' derives from English 'foul' referring to dirt or contamination, and 'release' from English 'release' meaning 'to set free or let go.'
'fouling' comes from Old English 'fūl' ('foul') via Middle English 'foulen' meaning to make dirty or obstruct; 'release' comes from Old French/Anglo-Norman forms of verbs meaning 'let go' and developed in English as 'release'. The compound 'fouling-release' arose in the late 20th century in marine coatings literature to describe non-biocidal low-adhesion coatings.
Initially, 'foul' and 'fouling' denoted general dirtiness or obstruction; over time 'fouling' specialized to mean biological accumulation on surfaces (especially marine). 'Release' retained the sense 'to let go,' and the compound came to mean 'allowing fouling to be released (easily removed)'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a type of marine coating or surface property designed to minimize the adhesion strength of organisms (barnacles, algae, etc.) so that they are easily removed by water flow, cleaning, or vessel movement; often contrasted with biocidal antifouling coatings.
The shipyard tested a new fouling-release that reduced hull drag between maintenance periods.
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Adjective 1
describing a surface, coating, or technology that provides fouling-release properties (i.e., reduces adhesion so fouling can be removed easily).
They applied a fouling-release coating to the yacht to improve fuel efficiency.
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Last updated: 2025/10/29 11:28