The verb is from Middle English folden, from Old English fealdan, from Proto-West Germanic *falþan, from Proto-Germanic *falþaną (“to fold”), from Proto-Indo-European *pel- (“to fold”).
Cognate with Dutch vouwen, German falten.
The noun is from Middle English folde, falde, itself derived from the verb.
Meanings
An act of folding.
After two reraises in quick succession, John realised his best option for this poker hand was probably a fold.
give the bedsheets a fold before putting them in the cupboard.
An act of folding. ▸ Any correct move in origami.
That which is folded together, or which enfolds or envelops. ▸ A bend or crease.
[…] There sat the Shadow fear’d of man;
Who broke our fair companionship,
And spread his mantle dark and cold;
And wrapt thee formless in the fold, […] 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XXII”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 37:
That which is folded together, or which enfolds or envelops. ▸ A layer, such as of of folded or wrapped cloth.
[…] the Ancient Ægyptian Mummies, were ſhrowded in a Number of Folds of Linnen, beſmeared with Gummes, in manner of Seare-Cloth; […] 1631, Francis [Bacon], “VIII. Century.”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], 3rd edition, London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC, paragraph 771, page 194:
That which is folded together, or which enfolds or envelops. ▸ A clasp, embrace.
[…] the weake wanton Cupid Shall from your necke vnlooſe his amorous fould, […] c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:
That which is folded together, or which enfolds or envelops. ▸ A coil of a snake’s body.
That which is folded together, or which enfolds or envelops. ▸ One of the doorleaves of a folding door.
That which is folded together, or which enfolds or envelops. ▸ A gentle curve of the ground; gentle hill or valley.
That which is folded together, or which enfolds or envelops. ▸ The division between the top and bottom halves of a broadsheet: headlines above the fold will be readable in a newsstand display; usually the fold.
Newspaper editors know the importance of putting the most important information “above the fold,” that is, visible when the paper is folded and on the rack. 2007, Jennifer Niederst Robbins, Learning Web Design: A Beginner's Guide to (X)HTML, StyleSheets, and Web Graphics, "O'Reilly Media, Inc.", →ISBN, page 43:
(broadly) That which is folded together, or which enfolds or envelops. ▸ The division between the top and bottom halves of a broadsheet: headlines above the fold will be readable in a newsstand display; usually the fold. ▸ The division between the part of a web page visible in a web browser window without scrolling; usually the fold.
For example, a story that is "page I, above the fold" is considered very important news. In web page design, the fold signifies the place at which the user has to scroll down to get more information. 1999, Jared M. Spool, Web Site Usability: A Designer's Guide, Morgan Kaufmann, →ISBN, page 77:
That which is folded together, or which enfolds or envelops. ▸ The bending or curving of one or a stack of originally flat and planar surfaces, such as sedimentary strata, as a result of plastic (i.e. permanent) deformation.
The folds are most abrupt to the eastward; to the west, they diminish in boldness, and become gentle undulations 1863, James Dwight Dana, Manual of Geology:
(obsolete) That which is folded together, or which enfolds or envelops. ▸ A wrapping or covering.
(qualifier:functional programming) Any of a family of higher-order functions that process a data structure recursively to build up a value.
It was Erik Meijer who coined the name hylomorphism to describe a computation that consists of a fold after an unfold. The unfold produces a data structure and the fold consumes it. 2010, Richard Bird, Pearls of Functional Algorithm Design, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 168:
A section of source code that can be collapsed out of view in an editor to aid readability.
One individual part of something described as manifold, twofold, fourfold, etc.
fi taitos (correct move in origami) · hu gyűrődés ((geology) bending of originally flat planar surfaces) · el πτυχή (bend or crease) · nl vouw (bend or crease) · es dobladura (bend or crease) · mi pūkorukoru (bend or crease) · ga furca (bend or crease) · pt dobra (bend or crease) · nl plooi (bend or crease) · fi poimu (bend or crease) · fr pli (bend or crease) · hu hajtás (bend or crease) · es plegadura (bend or crease) · fi taitos (bend or crease) · de Faltmanöver (correct move in origami) · ru скла́дка (bend or crease) · izh poime (bend or crease) · mi pukoru (bend or crease) · hy ծալք (bend or crease) · es redoblamiento (act of folding) · bg дипла (bend or crease) · es plisado (act of folding) · hu hajtás (act of folding) · ru скла́дывание (act of folding) · fr pliage (act of folding) · mi pori (bend or crease) · az büküm (bend or crease) · bg сгънка (bend or crease) · ar طَيَّة (bend or crease) · gl pregadura (bend or crease) · zza qat (diq) (bend or crease) · fur pleade (act of folding) · fa تاه (bend or crease) · hu redő (bend or crease) · ast dobladura (act of folding) · eo faldo (bend or crease) · no bretting (act of folding) · ca séc (bend or crease) · it piega (bend or crease) · de Falte ((geology) bending of originally flat planar surfaces) · id kedut (bend or crease) · sv veck (bend or crease) · sv vikning (act of folding) · uk скла́дка ((geology) bending of originally flat planar surfaces) · pt dobradura (act of folding) · es doblez (bend or crease) · de Faltung (act of folding) · hu ránc (bend or crease) · el δίπλωμα (act of folding) · es plegamiento (act of folding) · fi taite (bend or crease) · de Falten (act of folding) · gl dobradura (bend or crease) · de Falte (bend or crease) · fr pli (correct move in origami) · ast dobladura (bend or crease) · fur plee (bend or crease) · uk скла́дка (bend or crease) · es redobladura (bend or crease) · pt dobra (correct move in origami) · af vou (bend or crease) · gl dobradura (act of folding) · tr kat (bend or crease) · te మడత (bend or crease) · sq palë (act of folding) · es pliegue (bend or crease) · fi taittelu (act of folding) · de Falzung (act of folding) · ca plegament (act of folding) · cs záhyb (bend or crease) · pl fałda (bend or crease) · hy կնճիռ (bend or crease) · es plisado (bend or crease) · fi poimu ((geology) bending of originally flat planar surfaces) · ang field (bend or crease) · eo faldo (act of folding) · es doblamiento (act of folding) · zza qatman ((geology) bending of originally flat planar surfaces) · de Falz (bend or crease) · ca plec (bend or crease) · af vou (act of folding) · de Faltung (correct move in origami) · mi rehe (bend or crease) · izh poimu (bend or crease) · fr pliure (bend or crease) · bg гънка (bend or crease) · ty ʻapi (bend or crease) · ja 褶曲 ((geology) bending of originally flat planar surfaces) · grc πτύξ (bend or crease) · fi taittaminen (act of folding) · bg сгъване (act of folding) · cs vrása ((geology) bending of originally flat planar surfaces) · ota قات (bend or crease) · fur pleadure (act of folding)
The verb is from Middle English folden, from Old English fealdan, from Proto-West Germanic *falþan, from Proto-Germanic *falþaną (“to fold”), from Proto-Indo-European *pel- (“to fold”).
Cognate with Dutch vouwen, German falten.
The noun is from Middle English folde, falde, itself derived from the verb.
Meanings
(transitive) To bend (any thin material, such as paper) over so that it comes in contact with itself.
Next, fold the paper over, so the right half is on top of the left half.
The newspaper was folded under his arm.
(transitive) To make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending.
The clothes were folded by the housekeeper.
If you fold the sheets, they'll fit more easily in the drawer.
(transitive) To draw or coil (one’s arms, a snake’s body, etc.) around something so as to enclose or embrace it.
(transitive) To stir (semisolid ingredients) gently, with an action as if folding over a solid.
8 Jan 2020, Felicity Cloake in The Guardian, How to make the perfect gluten-free chocolate brownies – recipe
if you want to make life really easy for yourself, may I point you in the direction of Sunflour’s recipe, which folds four eggs and 150g ground almonds into 500g chocolate spread.
Fold the egg whites into the batter.
(intransitive) To become folded; to form folds.
Cardboard doesn't fold very easily.
(informal, intransitive) To fall over; to collapse or give way; to be crushed.
The chair folded under his enormous weight.
(intransitive, transitive) To give way on a point or in an argument.
He folded that point and didn't bring it up again.
He kept saying it was my fault, but when I brought up Sausalito, he folded.
(intransitive) To withdraw from betting.
With no hearts in the river and no chance to hit his straight, he folded.
(broadly, intransitive) To withdraw or quit in general.
(intransitive) To fail, to collapse, to disband.
(intransitive) Of a company, to cease to trade.
The company folded after six quarters of negative growth.
(transitive) To double or lay together (one’s arms, hands, wings, etc.) so as to overlap with each other.
He folded his arms in defiance.
(obsolete, transitive) To plait or mat (hair) together.
(transitive) To enclose in a fold of material, to swathe, wrap up, cover, enwrap.
(transitive) To enclose within folded arms, to clasp, to embrace (see also enfold).
He put out his arms and folded her to his breast. And for a while she lay there sobbing. He looked at us over her bowed head, with eyes that blinked damply above his quivering nostrils. His mouth was set as steel. 1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula, Westminster [London]: Archibald Constable and Company, […], →OCLC:
(figuratively, transitive) To cover up, to conceal.
I will not poyſon thee with my attaint, / Nor fold my fault in cleanly coin’d excuſes, / My ſable ground of ſinne I will not paint, / To hide the truth of this falſe nights abuſes. 1594, William Shakespeare, Lucrece (First Quarto), London: […] Richard Field, for Iohn Harrison, […], →OCLC:
(obsolete, transitive) To ensnare, to capture.
(transitive) To split (a line of text) across multiple lines, to obey line length limitations.
ckb قەدکردن (bend (thin material) over) · de falten (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · bg сгъна се (fall over) · gl pregar (bend (thin material) over) · fi taitella (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · kmr çemandin (bend (thin material) over) · sq palim (bend (thin material) over) · es abandonar (poker: withdraw from betting) · es plegar (bend (thin material) over) · bg сгъна (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · te మడతపెట్టు (bend (thin material) over) · pt dobrar (bend (thin material) over) · kw plegya (bend (thin material) over) · nl vouwen (bend (thin material) over) · bg сгъвам (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · it piegare (bend (thin material) over) · el διπλώνω (fall over) · el διπλώνω (bend (thin material) over) · de unterheben (stir gently with a folding action) · hi परत (bend (thin material) over) · hy ծալել (bend (thin material) over) · km បត់ (bend (thin material) over) · ru фолдить (poker: withdraw from betting) · bg сгъвам (bend (thin material) over) · is brjóta saman (bend (thin material) over) · pt ceder (give way on a point or in an argument) · cmn 棄牌 /弃牌 (poker: withdraw from betting) · ru уступа́ть (give way on a point or in an argument) · fi laskostaa (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · az qatlamaq (bend (thin material) over) · so laabid (bend (thin material) over) · fi mennä nurin (cease to trade) · fr plier bagage (cease to trade) · zza namnen (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · ln kumba (bend (thin material) over) · it amalgamare (stir gently with a folding action) · de aussteigen (poker: withdraw from betting) · pl złożyć (bend (thin material) over) · nl plooien (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · fr s'écraser (give way on a point or in an argument) · it darla vinta (give way on a point or in an argument) · pl składać (bend (thin material) over) · ms lipat (bend (thin material) over) · az bükmək (bend (thin material) over) · fr laisser tomber (give way on a point or in an argument) · ca plegar (bend (thin material) over) · de nachgeben (give way on a point or in an argument) · fur pleâ (bend (thin material) over) · gu વાળવું (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · ru перегну́ть (bend (thin material) over) · bg прегъна (bend (thin material) over) · de falzen (bend (thin material) over) · it piegare (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · ru сложи́ть (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · it concedere (give way on a point or in an argument) · eo enfaldi (stir gently with a folding action) · eo faldi (bend (thin material) over) · mi whētui (bend (thin material) over) · ru уступи́ть (give way on a point or in an argument) · ru перегиба́ть (bend (thin material) over) · ja 畳む (bend (thin material) over) · ca doblegar (bend (thin material) over) · sv böja sig (give way on a point or in an argument) · mi whātui (bend (thin material) over) · sh сложити (bend (thin material) over) · es doblar (bend (thin material) over) · sv lägga sig (poker: withdraw from betting) · yue 摺 /折 (bend (thin material) over) · tr bükmek (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · te మడచు (bend (thin material) over) · eo kolapsi (fall over) · bg откажа се (poker: withdraw from betting) · fr plier (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · fr incorporer délicatement (stir gently with a folding action) · fr concéder (give way on a point or in an argument) · th พับ (bend (thin material) over) · acw طَبَّق (bend (thin material) over) · tr katlamak (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · el διπλώνω (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · sv vika (bend (thin material) over) · ota قیرمق (bend (thin material) over) · it sciogliere (stir gently with a folding action) · it cedere (give way on a point or in an argument) · it cessare (cease to trade) · af vou (bend (thin material) over) · sh савити (bend (thin material) over) · fi lopettaa (cease to trade) · de zusammenkrachen (fall over) · oc plegar (bend (thin material) over) · acw ثنى (bend (thin material) over) · ast plegar (bend (thin material) over) · zza qat kerden (bend (thin material) over) · el ανοίγω (fall over) · de sich geschlagen geben (give way on a point or in an argument) · io faldar (bend (thin material) over) · ga fill (bend (thin material) over) · fi kaatua (fall over) · grc πτύσσω (bend (thin material) over) · vi gập (bend (thin material) over) · eo faldi (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · cs foldovat (poker: withdraw from betting) · fr s’écrouler (fall over) · mi kōpakipaki (bend (thin material) over) · ru скла́дывать (bend (thin material) over) · fr se coucher (poker: withdraw from betting) · hu hajt (bend (thin material) over) · fi taittaa (bend (thin material) over) · ru скла́дывать (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · bg сгъна pf прегъвам (bend (thin material) over) · gl encartar (bend (thin material) over) · cmn 折疊 /折叠 (bend (thin material) over) · de zusammenlegen (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · ar طَوَى (bend (thin material) over) · id lipat (bend (thin material) over) · no brette (bend (thin material) over) · fr s’effondrer (fall over) · de zusammenfallen (fall over) · sv vika sig (give way on a point or in an argument) · ro plia (bend (thin material) over) · sh složiti (bend (thin material) over) · ckb پێچان (bend (thin material) over) · tr katlamak (bend (thin material) over) · fi nostella (stir gently with a folding action) · el πτύσσω (bend (thin material) over) · nn bretta (bend (thin material) over) · is brjóta saman (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · it lasciare cadere (give way on a point or in an argument) · fi viikata (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · ro îndoi (bend (thin material) over) · alt бӱктеп ийер (bend (thin material) over) · af vou (stir gently with a folding action) · mi whakapeke (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · ja 折る (bend (thin material) over) · hu összehajt (bend (thin material) over) · eo cedi (give way on a point or in an argument) · es plegar (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · es doblarse (fall over) · bg сгъвам се (fall over) · la plicō (bend (thin material) over) · es incorporar (stir gently with a folding action) · ko 개다 (bend (thin material) over) · ko 접다 (bend (thin material) over) · ru сложи́ть (bend (thin material) over) · fr se replier (give way on a point or in an argument) · ast doblar (bend (thin material) over) · cs přeložit (bend (thin material) over) · eo fermiĝi (cease to trade) · de zusammenfalten (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · af vou (give way on a point or in an argument) · cy plygu (bend (thin material) over) · cmn 摺 /折 (bend (thin material) over) · kum бюкиек (bend (thin material) over) · fi antaa periksi (give way on a point or in an argument) · cmn 蓋牌 /盖牌 (poker: withdraw from betting) · eo cedi (poker: withdraw from betting) · haw ʻopi (bend (thin material) over) · sh saviti (bend (thin material) over) · kmr qat kirin (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · sv vika (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · de zusammenbrechen (fall over) · gl dobrar (bend (thin material) over) · it chiudere (cease to trade) · bg отказвам се (poker: withdraw from betting) · lt lankstyti (bend (thin material) over) · mi whētuitui (bend (thin material) over) · kmr pêçan (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · kmr tewandin (bend (thin material) over) · pt dobrar (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · fr plier (bend (thin material) over) · el καταρρέω (cease to trade) · mi whakapeke (bend (thin material) over) · is pakka (poker: withdraw from betting) · sq palos (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · ota بوكمك (bend (thin material) over) · es pasar (poker: withdraw from betting) · rap hatuhatu (bend (thin material) over) · grc εἴκω (give way on a point or in an argument) · scn chicari (bend (thin material) over) · nl zich gewonnen geven (give way on a point or in an argument) · pt passar (poker: withdraw from betting) · es derribarse (fall over) · fi kipata (poker: withdraw from betting) · vi gấp (bend (thin material) over) · mi numi (bend (thin material) over) · de falten (bend (thin material) over) · ga fill (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · af vou (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · fi sulkea (cease to trade) · it passare (poker: withdraw from betting) · rap hatuhatu (make the proper arrangement (in a thin material) by bending) · zza pêser kerden (bend (thin material) over)
The noun is from Middle English fold, fald, from Old English fald, falæd, falod (“fold, stall, stable, cattle-pen”), from Proto-West Germanic *falud, from Proto-Germanic *faludaz (“enclosure”).
Akin to Scots fald, fauld (“an enclosure for livestock”), Dutch vaalt (“dung heap”), Middle Low German valt, vālt (“an inclosed space, a yard”), Danish fold (“pen for herbivorous livestock”), Swedish fålla (“corral, pen, pound”).
The verb is from Late Middle English fooldyn, itself derived from the noun.
Meanings
A pen or enclosure for sheep or other domestic animals.
Leaps o're the fence with ease into the fold. 1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
Any enclosed piece of land belonging to a farm or mill; yard, farmyard.
An enclosure or dwelling generally.
(collective) A group of sheep or goats, particularly those kept in a given enclosure.
(figuratively) Home, family.
A church congregation, a group of people who adhere to a common faith and habitually attend a given church; also, the Christian church as a whole, the flock of Christ.
The obverse side of the coin in essence is "You who do not belong to my fold of sheep cannot believe my good shepherd claim or the other 'I AM' claims I have made." 2013, Willard M. Swartley, John, MennoMedia:
And other sheepe I haue, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall heare my voyce; and there shall be one fold, and one shepheard. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, John 10:16:
Ten folds of sheep, with shepherds presiding over each, encompassed the fountain; and every shaded spot the neighborhood afforded, was already encamped over by Arvah of Gilboa, who had been holding his sheep-shearing in this valley for the last three days. Arvah, who himself presided as chief shepherd of his flocks, was at this time engaged in calling his sheep one by one out of the fold. 1835, N. W. Oliver, Thaddeus Mason Harris, Sephora, C. Harris, page 176:
However, of the Jews constituted only the first fold of sheep for whom Jesus came and despite any schism, the Jews are of Jesus' sheep who have been rightly gathered into His fold. There yet is another fold constituting also of the sons of Father Abraham who as sheep must be gathered again together into the one fold. 2012, Aden John, The Last Avatar of Jesus the Christ, AuthorHouse UK:
(figuratively) A group of people with shared ideas or goals or who live or work together.
“I hope that eventually Elon comes back into the fold. Maybe that’s not possible now because he’s gone so nuclear,” the vice-president said. 2025 June 7, Edward Helmore, quoting JD Vance, “Trump warns Musk of ‘very serious consequences’ if he backs Democrats”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
Having suffered the loss of Rooney just as he had returned to the fold, Moyes' mood will not have improved as Liverpool took the lead in the third minute. 2013 September 1, Phil McNulty, BBC Sport:
Most recently, in his ambitious 2015 book, Leaving the Jewish Fold, Endelman significantly enlarges his purview in both time and space to broadly survey the phenomenon of Jewish conversion from early medieval to postmodern times […] 2021, Angela Kuttner Botelho, German Jews and the Persistence of Jewish Identity in Conversion: Writing the Jewish Self, Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG, →ISBN, page 37:
In a first phase of foreign policy, after 1945, my country sought to regain former enemies’ trust. We are forever grateful that they extended their hand to us, readmitting us into the global fold. 2023 July 6, Annalena Baerbock, “Russia’s war on Ukraine has forced us in Germany to think differently about our role in the world”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
de Schoß (home, family) · grc μάνδρα (enclosure for domestic animals) · tr ağıl (enclosure for domestic animals) · el μαντρί (enclosure for domestic animals) · ru па́ства (church or congregation) · grc σηκός (enclosure for domestic animals) · nb fold (enclosure for domestic animals) · bg лоно (church or congregation) · fr parc à moutons (enclosure for domestic animals) · fr bercail (church or congregation) · ru коша́ра (enclosure for domestic animals) · de Gemeinde (church or congregation) · es cuna (home, family) · el στάνη (enclosure for domestic animals) · ga mainnear (enclosure for domestic animals) · fr bercail (home, family) · ota آغل (enclosure for domestic animals) · fr bergerie (enclosure for domestic animals) · fr sein de l’Église (church or congregation) · es redil (enclosure for domestic animals) · bg паство (church or congregation) · sv fålla (enclosure for domestic animals) · el ποίμνιο (church or congregation) · de Schafspferch (enclosure for domestic animals) · ota ماندره (enclosure for domestic animals) · es cerca (enclosure for domestic animals) · es corral (enclosure for domestic animals) · fi karsina (enclosure for domestic animals) · izh karsina (enclosure for domestic animals) · az ağıl (enclosure for domestic animals) · otk 𐰍𐰞 (enclosure for domestic animals) · es aprisco (enclosure for domestic animals) · bg кошара (enclosure for domestic animals) · uk коша́ра (enclosure for domestic animals)
The noun is from Middle English fold, fald, from Old English fald, falæd, falod (“fold, stall, stable, cattle-pen”), from Proto-West Germanic *falud, from Proto-Germanic *faludaz (“enclosure”).
Akin to Scots fald, fauld (“an enclosure for livestock”), Dutch vaalt (“dung heap”), Middle Low German valt, vālt (“an inclosed space, a yard”), Danish fold (“pen for herbivorous livestock”), Swedish fålla (“corral, pen, pound”).
The verb is from Late Middle English fooldyn, itself derived from the noun.
Meanings
(transitive) To confine (animals) in a fold, to pen in.
The star that bids the shepherd fold,
Now the top of heaven doth hold. 1634 October 9 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637, →OCLC; reprinted as Comus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1903, →OCLC:
On the same day [Midsummer Eve] people in the Isle of Man were wont to light fires to the windward of every field, so that the smoke might pass over the corn; and they folded their cattle and carried blazing furze or gorse round them several times. 1900, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 3, page 289:
(figuratively, transitive) To include in a spiritual ‘flock’ or group of the saved, etc.
(transitive) To place sheep on (a piece of land) in order to manure it.
From Middle English folde, from Old English folde (“earth, land, country, district, region, territory, ground, soil, clay”), from Proto-Germanic *fuldǭ, *fuldō (“earth, ground; field; the world”). Cognate with Old Norse fold (“earth, land, field”), Norwegian and Icelandic fold (“land, earth, meadow”).
Meanings
(dialectal, poetic, qualifier:otherwise obsolete, uncountable) The Earth; earth; land; country.