Foil Definition

foil
foiled, foiling, foils
verb
foiled, foiling, foils
To keep from being successful; thwart; frustrate.
Webster's New World
To make (a scent, trail, etc.) confused, as by recrossing, in order to balk the pursuers.
Webster's New World
To cover or back with foil.
Webster's New World
To wrap (strands of hair) in pieces of foil in order to isolate them after bleach or color has been applied.
American Heritage
To serve as a contrast to.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:
noun
foils
A repulse; a setback.
American Heritage
The scent or trail of an animal.
Webster's New World
A thwarting.
Webster's New World
A very thin sheet or leaf of metal; specif., such a sheet, as of aluminum, used for wrapping food, etc.
Webster's New World
A leaflike, rounded space or design between cusps or in windows, etc., as in Gothic architecture.
Webster's New World
pronoun

A particular algorithm for multiplying two binomials.

Wiktionary

Origin of Foil

  • From Middle English foilen (“spoil a scent trail by crossing it”), from Old French fouler (“tread on, trample”), ultimately from Latin fullo (“clothes cleaner, fuller”).

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English from Old French foille from Latin folia pl. of folium leaf bhel-3 in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Old French fueille (“plant leaf”), from Latin folia, the plural of folium, mistaken as a singular feminine.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English foilen to trample, defile variant of filen to defile file3

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Acronym of first outer inner last or similar.

    From Wiktionary

  • From mnemonic acronym FOIL (“First Outside Inside Last”).

    From Wiktionary

  • From French foulis.

    From Wiktionary

  • Origin unknown

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • See file.

    From Wiktionary

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foil