foil en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /fɔɪl/
Etymology
From Middle English foyle, from Middle French fueille, from Old French fueille (“plant leaf”), from Late Latin folia, the plural of folium, mistaken as a singular feminine. The literary sense is from the practice of backing a gem with metal foil to make it shine more brilliantly. Doublet of folio and folium, distantly also with phyllo and phyllon.
Meanings
- (countable, uncountable) A very thin sheet of metal.
- (countable, qualifier:chiefly Euro English, uncountable) A very thin sheet of plastic.
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(uncountable) Thin aluminium/aluminum (or, formerly, tin) used for wrapping food.
wrap the sandwich up in foil
- (countable, uncountable) A thin layer of metal put between a jewel and its setting to make it seem more brilliant.
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(countable, figuratively, uncountable) In literature, theatre/theater, etc., a character who helps emphasize the traits of the main character and who usually acts as an opponent or antagonist, but can also serve as the sidekick of the protagonist.
As Puss comes to realize his legendary status is not a substitute for interpersonal connection, his interactions with Kitty and the therapy dog start to take on a surprising amount of weight, while Goldilocks serves as a well-realized foil who has more in common with Puss that is at first apparent.
2022 December 20, Leigh Monson, “Puss In Boots: The Last Wish review: Antonio Banderas leads the best film yet in the Shrek franchise”, in AV Club, archived from the original on 14 Mar 2023:Whereas the female invests heavily in the wake of conception, the male invests heavily prior to conception. Hitherto, the male has been regarded as the mere foil to the heavy investment in reproduction that renders the female the logjam (the limiting factor) in reproduction – reproduction overall is expandable by increasing the number of females, not by increasing the number of males.
2019, Steve Paul Moxon, “The Sexes Serve to Purge Mutations by Selection on Males, Boosting the Function of Sex to Maintain Genomic Integrity]”, in New Male Studies, volume 8, number 1, pages 46–47 of 25–51, archived from the original on 06 Aug 2021:
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(countable, figuratively, uncountable) Anything that acts by contrast to emphasise the characteristics of something.
1725-1726, William Broome, The Odyssey Hector has also a foil to set regard
As she a black silk cap on him begun / To set, for foil of his milk-white to serve.
a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC:
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(countable, uncountable) A very thin sword with a blunted (or foiled) tip.
Blunt as the fencer's foils, which hit, but hurt not.
1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:1784-1810, William Mitford, History of Greece Socrates contended with a foil against Demosthenes with a sword.
The country’s fencing federation has officially recognised lightsaber duelling as a competitive sport, granting the weapon from George Lucas’s space saga the same status as the foil, epee and sabre, the traditional blades used at the Olympics.
2019 February 19, “Lightsaber duelling registered as official sport in France”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 08 Nov 2020:
- (countable, uncountable) A thin, transparent plastic material on which marks are made and projected for the purposes of presentation. See transparency.
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(countable, uncountable) A premium trading card with a glossy finish.
I personally would collect all the foils from Base Set before this one, but the market is what the market is.
2016, Pojo's Unofficial Big Book of Pokémon, Triumph Books:
- (countable, uncountable) A stylized flower or leaf.
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(abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, uncountable) Clipping of hydrofoil.
alt of hydrofoil
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(abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, uncountable) Clipping of aerofoil/airfoil.
alt of aerofoil/airfoil
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| foils | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
aluminum foil · trefoil · tinfoil · sexfoil · tin foil · quatrefoil · gold foil · rushfoil · cephalofoil · rockfoil · foil shaver · bow foil · octofoil · featherfoil · F50 · biofoil · foil razor · cinquefoil · counterfoil · dufoil · blisterfoil · foilist · foilsman · holofoil · twifoil · foilboard · foil stone · jetfoil
Synonyms
aluminium foil (thin aluminium/aluminum) · silver paper (thin aluminium/aluminum) · tin foil (thin aluminium/aluminum) · silver foil (thin aluminium/aluminum)
Translations (116)
pt folha (thin sheet of metal) · ja 金属裏張り (thin sheet of metal) · it fioretto (type of sword used in fencing) · mk флоре́т (type of sword used in fencing) · el ελαφρύ ξίφος ξιφασκίας (type of sword used in fencing) · es papel de aluminio (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · la bractea (thin sheet of metal) · it lamina (thin sheet of metal) · bg станио́л (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · el αλουμινόχαρτο (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · id pedang anggar (type of sword used in fencing) · pam palara (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · nn folie (thin sheet of metal) · cs fólie (thin sheet of metal) · ms perada (thin layer of metal put between a jewel and its setting to make it seem more brilliant) · uk фо́льга (thin sheet of metal) · it lamella (thin sheet of metal) · fi ohkolevy (thin sheet of metal) · fr faire-valoir (character who helps emphasise the traits of the main character) · fr alu (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · pl folia (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · ru станио́ль (thin sheet of metal) · ms kerajang (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · hy փայլաթիթեղ (thin sheet of metal) · es florete (type of sword used in fencing) · fi folio (thin sheet of metal) · hy ֆոլգա (thin sheet of metal) · cs fleret (type of sword used in fencing) · eo skerma glavo (type of sword used in fencing) · bg станио́л (thin sheet of metal) · da folie (thin layer of metal put between a jewel and its setting to make it seem more brilliant) · fr feuille de métal (thin sheet of metal) · hu tőr (type of sword used in fencing) · hy ֆոլգա (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · ru рапи́ра (type of sword used in fencing) · la rudis (type of sword used in fencing) · es folio (thin sheet of metal) · de Florett (type of sword used in fencing) · fa فویل (thin sheet of metal) · es complemento (anything that acts to emphasise the characteristics of something) · da baggrund (anything that acts to emphasise the characteristics of something) · nl floret (type of sword used in fencing) · bg вара́к (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · lt rapyra (type of sword used in fencing) · fi folio (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · ca full (thin sheet of metal) · pt florete (type of sword used in fencing) · tl palara (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · da folie (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · nb folie (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · de Aluminiumfolie (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · nb folie (thin sheet of metal) · ru фольга́ (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · mi raukonu (thin sheet of metal) · ja フォイル (thin sheet of metal) · cmn 箔 (thin sheet of metal) · pl folia (thin sheet of metal) · sv florett (type of sword used in fencing) · it carta stagnola (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · bg фо́лио (thin sheet of metal) · yue 箔 (thin sheet of metal) · nl Aluminiumfolie (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · da fleuret (type of sword used in fencing) · fr fleuret (type of sword used in fencing) · id kertas logam (thin sheet of metal) · cy ffwyl (type of sword used in fencing) · fr papier d'aluminium (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · hi डाक (thin layer of metal put between a jewel and its setting to make it seem more brilliant) · it spalla (character who helps emphasise the traits of the main character) · ca paper d'alumini (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · ko 포일 (thin sheet of metal) · bg рапи́ра (type of sword used in fencing) · id kertas aluminium (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · de Folie (thin sheet of metal) · pt papel-alumínio (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · ru фольга́ (thin sheet of metal) · id kerajang (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · ro foiță (thin sheet of metal) · es lámina de metal (thin sheet of metal) · vi lá kim loại (thin sheet of metal) · as ৰাংপতা (thin sheet of metal) · ja 箔 (thin sheet of metal) · tr folyo (thin sheet of metal) · ka ფოლგა (thin sheet of metal) · pl floret (type of sword used in fencing) · ca floret (type of sword used in fencing) · ca comparsa (character who helps emphasise the traits of the main character) · enm foyle (thin sheet of metal) · gv cliwe crammanagh (type of sword used in fencing) · el έλασμα (thin sheet of metal) · nl contrastfiguur (character who helps emphasise the traits of the main character) · ga pionsa maol (type of sword used in fencing) · ja ホイル (thin sheet of metal) · lt folija (thin layer of metal put between a jewel and its setting to make it seem more brilliant) · lt folija (thin sheet of metal) · ha takardar ƙarfe siririya (thin sheet of metal) · be фо́льга (thin sheet of metal) · sv aluminiumfolie (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · es florete (character who helps emphasise the traits of the main character) · nl folie (thin sheet of metal) · hy նրբաթիթեղ (thin sheet of metal) · ja フルーレ (type of sword used in fencing) · cmn 花劍 /花剑 (type of sword used in fencing) · fi floretti (type of sword used in fencing) · id perada (thin layer of metal put between a jewel and its setting to make it seem more brilliant) · ko 플뢰레 (type of sword used in fencing) · id floret (type of sword used in fencing) · ro floretă (type of sword used in fencing) · tr flöre (type of sword used in fencing) · nn folie (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · sv folie (thin sheet of metal) · id tokoh kontras (character who helps emphasise the traits of the main character) · lt folija (thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food) · de Kontrastfigur (character who helps emphasise the traits of the main character) · da folie (thin sheet of metal) · fi folio (thin layer of metal put between a jewel and its setting to make it seem more brilliant)