filth
English
Etymology
From Middle English filth, from Old English fȳlþu, from Proto-West Germanic *fūliþu, equivalent to foul + -th.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /fɪlθ/
Audio (AU) (file) - Rhymes: -ɪlθ
Noun
filth (usually uncountable, plural filths)
- Dirt; foul matter; that which soils or defiles.
- Before we start cooking we need to clean up the filth in this kitchen.
- Smut; that which sullies or defiles the moral character; corruption; pollution.
- He spends all his time watching filth on pornographic websites.
- a. 1694, John Tillotson, The Excellency of the Christian Religion
- purifying our souls from the dross and filth of sensual delights
- (derogatory, uncountable) A vile or disgusting person.
- 1963, Charles Webb, The Graduate:
- I think you're scum, I think you're filth. And as far as Elaine's concerned you're to get her out of your filthy mind right now.
- 2011, Jeremy Robert Hall, Summer Days:
- They were filth, utter filth. I mean, and this tops it. She even bought the video of her sister dying, or at least the sex act that killed her.
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- (US, agriculture, dated) Weeds growing on pasture land.
- Grampa remembers when he had to cut filth with a scythe.
Noun
the filth (uncountable)
- (UK, derogatory, slang) The police.
- We were in the middle of stashing the money when the filth arrived.
Derived terms
- befilth
- filthen
- filthify
- filthy
- read someone for filth
- read someone to filth
Related terms
English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *puH- (0 c, 17 e)
Translations
dirt
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