"foul one's own nest" meaning in English

See foul one's own nest in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Forms: fouls one's own nest [present, singular, third-person], fouling one's own nest [participle, present], fouled one's own nest [participle, past], fouled one's own nest [past]
Etymology: From the proverb it's an ill bird that fouls its own nest. Etymology templates: {{m|en|it's an ill bird that fouls its own nest}} it's an ill bird that fouls its own nest Head templates: {{en-verb|*}} foul one's own nest (third-person singular simple present fouls one's own nest, present participle fouling one's own nest, simple past and past participle fouled one's own nest)
  1. To damage one's environment.
    Sense id: en-foul_one's_own_nest-en-verb-q9jAGfMy
  2. To hurt one's own interests, especially to damage the reputation of one's self, family or group. Synonyms: shoot oneself in the foot Related terms: don't shit in your own nest Translations (to hurt one's own interests, especially to damage the reputation of one's self): kálet si do vlastního hnízda [imperfective] (Czech), besudle sin egen rede (Danish), skite i eget reir (Norwegian Bokmål), skite i eige reir (Norwegian Nynorsk), tirar piedras contra el propio tejado (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-foul_one's_own_nest-en-verb-H9E-5NlY Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 13 87 Disambiguation of "to hurt one's own interests, especially to damage the reputation of one's self": 14 86

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for foul one's own nest meaning in English (4.2kB)

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  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "it's an ill bird that fouls its own nest"
      },
      "expansion": "it's an ill bird that fouls its own nest",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From the proverb it's an ill bird that fouls its own nest.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "fouls one's own nest",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
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    },
    {
      "form": "fouling one's own nest",
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    {
      "form": "fouled one's own nest",
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      "form": "fouled one's own nest",
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  "head_templates": [
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      "args": {
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      "expansion": "foul one's own nest (third-person singular simple present fouls one's own nest, present participle fouling one's own nest, simple past and past participle fouled one's own nest)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1992, Roy Masters, Secrets of a Parallel Universe, page 142",
          "text": "Provide them with a mansion, and they will rip out the plumbing, write obscenities on the walls, and generally foul up their own nest.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1998, Max Anders, What You Need to Know About Defending Your Faith in 12 Lessons, page 135",
          "text": "Whatever we do to nature and the environment we will eventually do to ourselves. If we continually foul our own nest, we will pay the price.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2009, Richard Walker, The country in the city: the greening of the San Francisco, page 205",
          "text": "Large cities foul their own nest as they grow, putting the health of their citizens in jeopardy.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, Daniel McCool, River Republic: The Fall and Rise of America's Rivers, page 296",
          "text": "Rather, it appears that we have a tendency to foul our own nest and destroy what we value the most.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To damage one's environment."
      ],
      "id": "en-foul_one's_own_nest-en-verb-q9jAGfMy",
      "links": [
        [
          "damage",
          "damage"
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    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "13 87",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
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          "source": "w+disamb"
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      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2007, Roger Taylor, Farnor, page 200",
          "text": "He had concluded, 'Arbitrary violence against them now would be to foul your own nest; mar at the outset the future that is your destiny.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, Peter Maguire, Law and War, page 135",
          "text": "In giving vent to these baseless slanders you have now fouled your own nest and sought to discredit the very judgment which you and your two distinguished colleagues have just rendered.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015, Zachary Leader, The Life of Saul Bellow: To Fame and Fortune, 1915-1964",
          "text": "He fouled his own nest. So by now he realizes it was his own fault and he had it coming.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To hurt one's own interests, especially to damage the reputation of one's self, family or group."
      ],
      "id": "en-foul_one's_own_nest-en-verb-H9E-5NlY",
      "links": [
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      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "27 73",
          "word": "don't shit in your own nest"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "shoot oneself in the foot"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "14 86",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "to hurt one's own interests, especially to damage the reputation of one's self",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "kálet si do vlastního hnízda"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "14 86",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "to hurt one's own interests, especially to damage the reputation of one's self",
          "word": "besudle sin egen rede"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "14 86",
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "to hurt one's own interests, especially to damage the reputation of one's self",
          "word": "skite i eget reir"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "14 86",
          "code": "nn",
          "lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
          "sense": "to hurt one's own interests, especially to damage the reputation of one's self",
          "word": "skite i eige reir"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "14 86",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to hurt one's own interests, especially to damage the reputation of one's self",
          "word": "tirar piedras contra el propio tejado"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "foul one's own nest"
}
{
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    "English verbs"
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  "etymology_templates": [
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        "1": "en",
        "2": "it's an ill bird that fouls its own nest"
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      "expansion": "it's an ill bird that fouls its own nest",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From the proverb it's an ill bird that fouls its own nest.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "fouls one's own nest",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
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    },
    {
      "form": "fouling one's own nest",
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        "present"
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    {
      "form": "fouled one's own nest",
      "tags": [
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    {
      "form": "fouled one's own nest",
      "tags": [
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  "head_templates": [
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      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "don't shit in your own nest"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1992, Roy Masters, Secrets of a Parallel Universe, page 142",
          "text": "Provide them with a mansion, and they will rip out the plumbing, write obscenities on the walls, and generally foul up their own nest.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1998, Max Anders, What You Need to Know About Defending Your Faith in 12 Lessons, page 135",
          "text": "Whatever we do to nature and the environment we will eventually do to ourselves. If we continually foul our own nest, we will pay the price.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2009, Richard Walker, The country in the city: the greening of the San Francisco, page 205",
          "text": "Large cities foul their own nest as they grow, putting the health of their citizens in jeopardy.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, Daniel McCool, River Republic: The Fall and Rise of America's Rivers, page 296",
          "text": "Rather, it appears that we have a tendency to foul our own nest and destroy what we value the most.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To damage one's environment."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "damage",
          "damage"
        ],
        [
          "environment",
          "environment"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
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      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2007, Roger Taylor, Farnor, page 200",
          "text": "He had concluded, 'Arbitrary violence against them now would be to foul your own nest; mar at the outset the future that is your destiny.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, Peter Maguire, Law and War, page 135",
          "text": "In giving vent to these baseless slanders you have now fouled your own nest and sought to discredit the very judgment which you and your two distinguished colleagues have just rendered.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015, Zachary Leader, The Life of Saul Bellow: To Fame and Fortune, 1915-1964",
          "text": "He fouled his own nest. So by now he realizes it was his own fault and he had it coming.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To hurt one's own interests, especially to damage the reputation of one's self, family or group."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "hurt",
          "hurt"
        ],
        [
          "reputation",
          "reputation"
        ],
        [
          "family",
          "family"
        ],
        [
          "group",
          "group"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "shoot oneself in the foot"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "to hurt one's own interests, especially to damage the reputation of one's self",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "kálet si do vlastního hnízda"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "to hurt one's own interests, especially to damage the reputation of one's self",
      "word": "besudle sin egen rede"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "to hurt one's own interests, especially to damage the reputation of one's self",
      "word": "skite i eget reir"
    },
    {
      "code": "nn",
      "lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
      "sense": "to hurt one's own interests, especially to damage the reputation of one's self",
      "word": "skite i eige reir"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to hurt one's own interests, especially to damage the reputation of one's self",
      "word": "tirar piedras contra el propio tejado"
    }
  ],
  "word": "foul one's own nest"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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