| foil 1 (foil)
tr.v. foiled, foil·ing, foils
1. To prevent from being successful; thwart.
2. To obscure or confuse (a trail or scent) so as to evade pursuers.
n. Archaic
1. A repulse; a setback.
2. The trail or scent of an animal.
[Middle English foilen, to trample, defile, variant of filen, to defile; see file3.]
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| foil 2 (foil)
n.
1. A thin, flexible leaf or sheet of metal: aluminum foil.
2. A thin layer of polished metal placed under a displayed gem to lend it brilliance.
3. One that by contrast underscores or enhances the distinctive characteristics of another: "I am resolved my husband shall not be a rival, but a foil to me" (Charlotte Brontë).
4. The reflective metal coating on the back of a glass mirror.
5. Architecture A curvilinear, often lobelike figure or space formed between the cusps of intersecting arcs, found especially in Gothic tracery and Moorish ornament.
6.
a. An airfoil.
b. Nautical A hydrofoil.
tr.v. foiled, foil·ing, foils
1. To cover or back with foil.
2. To set off by contrast.
[Middle English, from Old French foille, from Latin folia, pl. of folium, leaf; see bhel-3 in Indo-European roots.]
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| foil 3 (foil)
n.
1. A fencing sword having a usually circular guard and a thin, flexible four-sided blade with a button on the tip to prevent injury.
2. The art or sport of fencing with such a sword. Often used in the plural: a contest at foils.
[Origin unknown.]
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
foil1
vb (tr)
1. to baffle or frustrate (a person, attempt, etc.)
2. (Individual Sports & Recreations / Hunting) Hunting (of hounds, hunters, etc.) to obliterate the scent left by a hunted animal or (of a hunted animal) to run back over its own trail
3. Archaic to repulse or defeat (an attack or assailant)
n
1. (Individual Sports & Recreations / Hunting) Hunting any scent that obscures the trail left by a hunted animal
2. Archaic a setback or defeat
[C13 foilen to trample, from Old French fouler, from Old French fuler tread down, full2]
foilable adj
foil2
n
1. (Engineering / Metallurgy) metal in the form of very thin sheets gold foil tin foil
2. (Fine Arts & Visual Arts / Ceramics) the thin metallic sheet forming the backing of a mirror
3. (Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Jewellery) a thin leaf of shiny metal set under a gemstone to add brightness or colour
4. a person or thing that gives contrast to another
5. (Fine Arts & Visual Arts / Architecture) Architect a small arc between cusps, esp as used in Gothic window tracery
6. (Engineering / Aeronautics) short for aerofoil, hydrofoil
vb (tr)
1. (Engineering / Metallurgy) to back or cover with foil
2. (Fine Arts & Visual Arts / Architecture) Also foliate Architect to ornament (windows) with foils
[from Old French foille, from Latin folia leaves, plural of folium]
foil3
n
(Military / Arms & Armour (excluding Firearms)) a light slender flexible sword tipped by a button and usually having a bell-shaped guard
[of unknown origin]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
foil1 (fɔɪl)
v.t.
1. to prevent the success of; frustrate; thwart.
2. to keep (a person) from succeeding in an enterprise, plan, etc.
n.
3. Archaic. a defeat; check; repulse.
[1250–1300; Middle English < Anglo-French foller, Old French fuler to trample, full (cloth)]
foil′a•ble, adj.
foil2 (fɔɪl) n.
1. metal in the form of very thin sheets: aluminum foil.
2. the metallic backing applied to glass to form a mirror.
3. a thin layer of metal placed under a gem in a closed setting to improve its color or brilliancy.
4. a person or thing that makes another seem better by contrast.
5. an arc or rounded space between cusps.
6. an airfoil or hydrofoil.
v.t.
7. to cover or back with foil.
8. to set off by contrast.
[1350–1400; Middle English < Old French]
foil3 (fɔɪl) n.
1. a flexible four-sided rapier having a blunt point.
2. foils, the art or practice of fencing with this weapon, points being made by touching the trunk of the opponent's body with the tip of the weapon.
[1585–95; orig. uncertain]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Thesaurus Legend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. | foil - a piece of thin and flexible sheet metal; "the photographic film was wrapped in foil"
chaff - foil in thin strips; ejected into the air as a radar countermeasure
gold foil - foil made of gold
sheet metal - sheet of metal formed into a thin plate
|
| 2. | foil - anything that serves by contrast to call attention to another thing's good qualities; "pretty girls like plain friends as foils"
attention - a general interest that leads people to want to know more; "She was the center of attention"
| |
| 3. |  foil - a device consisting of a flat or curved piece (as a metal plate) so that its surface reacts to the water it is passing through; "the fins of a fish act as hydrofoils"
device - an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose; "the device is small enough to wear on your wrist"; "a device intended to conserve water"
| |
| 4. |  foil - picture consisting of a positive photograph or drawing on a transparent base; viewed with a projector
ikon, picture, icon, image - a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface; "they showed us the pictures of their wedding"; "a movie is a series of images projected so rapidly that the eye integrates them"
lantern slide, slide - a transparency mounted in a frame; viewed with a slide projector
| |
| 5. | foil - a light slender flexible sword tipped by a button
fencing - the art or sport of fighting with swords (especially the use of foils or epees or sabres to score points under a set of rules)
fencing sword - a sword used in the sport of fencing
| |
| Verb | 1. | foil - enhance by contrast; "In this picture, the figures are foiled against the background"
counterpoint, contrast - to show differences when compared; be different; "the students contrast considerably in their artistic abilities"
|
| 2. |  foil - hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of; "What ultimately frustrated every challenger was Ruth's amazing September surge"; "foil your opponent"
disappoint, let down - fail to meet the hopes or expectations of; "Her boyfriend let her down when he did not propose marriage"
foreclose, forestall, preclude, prevent, forbid - keep from happening or arising; make impossible; "My sense of tact forbids an honest answer"; "Your role in the projects precludes your involvement in the competitive project"
dash - destroy or break; "dashed ambitions and hopes"
short-circuit - hamper the progress of; impede; "short-circuit warm feelings"
ruin - destroy or cause to fail; "This behavior will ruin your chances of winning the election"
| |
| 3. | foil - cover or back with foil; "foil mirrors"
cover - provide with a covering or cause to be covered; "cover her face with a handkerchief"; "cover the child with a blanket"; "cover the grave with flowers"
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Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
foil1
verb thwart, stop, check, defeat, disappoint, counter, frustrate, hamper, baffle, elude, balk, circumvent, outwit, nullify, checkmate, nip in the bud, put a spoke in (someone's) wheel (Brit.) A brave police chief foiled an armed robbery.
foil2
noun complement, setting, relief, contrast, background, antithesis A cold beer is the perfect foil for a curry.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
foil1 (foil) verb
foil2 (foil) noun
foil3 (foil) noun
foil
to defeat; to disappoint. She was foiled in her attempt to become President.
foil2 (foil) noun
1. extremely thin sheets of metal that resemble paper. silver foil.
2. a dull person or thing against which someone or something else seems brighter. She acted as a foil to her beautiful sister.
foil3 (foil) noun
a blunt sword with a button at the end, used in the sport of fencing.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
foil
