Adjacent Words

Foil definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

FOIL, v.t.
1. To frustrate; to defeat; to render vain or nugatory, as an effort or attempt. The enemy attempted to pass the river, but was foiled. He foiled his adversaries.
And by a mortal man at length am foiled.
2. To blunt; to dull.
When light wing'd toys of feathered cupid foil -
3. To defeat; to interrupt, or to render imperceptible; as, to foil the scent in a chase.
FOIL, n. Defeat; frustration; the failure of success when on the point of being secured; miscarriage.
Death never won a stake with greater toil, nor e'er was fate to near a foil.
FOIL, n. A blunt sword, or one that has a button at the end covered with leather; used in fencing.
Isocrates contended with a foil, against Demosthenes with a sword.
FOIL, n. [L. folium. Gr.]
1. A leaf or thin plate of metal used in gilding.
2. Among jewelers, a thin leaf of metal placed under precious stones, to make them appear transparent, and to give them a particular color, as the stone appears to be of the color of the foil. Hence,
3. Any thing of another color, or of different qualities, which serves to adorn, or set off another thing to advantage.
Hector has a foil to set him off.
4. A thin coat of tin, with quicksilver, laid on the back of a locking glass, to cause reflection.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a piece of thin and flexible sheet metal; "the photographic film was wrapped in foil"
2: anything that serves by contrast to call attention to another thing's good qualities; "pretty girls like plain friends as foils" [syn: foil, enhancer]
3: 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" [syn: hydrofoil, foil]
4: picture consisting of a positive photograph or drawing on a transparent base; viewed with a projector [syn: foil, transparency]
5: a light slender flexible sword tipped by a button v
1: enhance by contrast; "In this picture, the figures are foiled against the background"
2: hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of; "What ultimately frustrated every challenger was Ruth's amazing September surge"; "foil your opponent" [syn: thwart, queer, spoil, scotch, foil, cross, frustrate, baffle, bilk]
3: cover or back with foil; "foil mirrors"

Merriam Webster's

I. transitive verb Etymology: Middle English, alteration of fullen to full cloth, from Anglo-French foller — more at full Date: 14th century 1. obsolete trample 2. a. to prevent from attaining an end ; defeat <always able to foil her enemies> b. to bring to naught ; thwart <foiled the plot> Synonyms: see frustrate II. noun Date: 15th century 1. archaic defeat 2. archaic the track or trail of an animal III. noun Etymology: Middle English, leaf, from Anglo-French fuille, foille (from Latin folia, plural of folium) & fuil, from Latin folium — more at blade Date: 14th century 1. very thin sheet metal <aluminum foil> 2. a thin piece of material (as metal) put under an inferior or paste stone to add color or brilliance 3. someone or something that serves as a contrast to another <acted as a foil for a comedian> 4. a. an indentation between cusps in Gothic tracery b. one of several arcs that enclose a complex figure 5. hydrofoil 1 IV. transitive verb Date: 1611 1. to back or cover with foil 2. to enhance by contrast V. noun Etymology: origin unknown Date: 1594 1. a light fencing sword having a usually circular guard and a flexible blade of rectangular section tapering to a blunted point — compare epee, saber 2. the art or sport of fencing with the foil — often used in plural

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. v. & n. --v.tr. 1 frustrate, baffle, defeat. 2 Hunting a run over or cross (ground or a scent) to confuse the hounds. b (absol.) (of an animal) spoil the scent in this way. --n. 1 Hunting the track of a hunted animal. 2 archaic a repulse or defeat. Etymology: ME, = trample down, perh. f. OF fouler to full cloth, trample, ult. f. L fullo FULLER(1) 2. n. 1 a metal hammered or rolled into a thin sheet (tin foil). b a sheet of this, or of tin amalgam, attached to mirror glass as a reflector. c a leaf of foil placed under a precious stone etc. to brighten or colour it. 2 a person or thing that enhances the qualities of another by contrast. 3 Archit. a leaf-shaped curve formed by the cusping of an arch or circle. Etymology: ME f. OF f. L folium leaf, and f. OF foille f. L folia (pl.) 3. n. a light blunt-edged sword with a button on its point used in fencing. Derivatives: foilist n. Etymology: 16th c.: orig. unkn. 4. n. = HYDROFOIL. Etymology: abbr.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Foil Foil, n. [OE. foil leaf, OF. foil, fuil, fueil, foille, fueille, F. feuille, fr. L. folium, pl. folia; akin to Gr. ?, and perh. to E. blade. Cf. Foliage, Folio.] 1. A leaf or very thin sheet of metal; as, brass foil; tin foil; gold foil. 2. (Jewelry) A thin leaf of sheet copper silvered and burnished, and afterwards coated with transparent colors mixed with isinglass; -- employed by jewelers to give color or brilliancy to pastes and inferior stones. --Ure. 3. Anything that serves by contrast of color or quality to adorn or set off another thing to advantage. As she a black silk cap on him began To set, for foil of his milk-white to serve. --Sir P. Sidney. Hector has a foil to set him off. --Broome. 4. A thin coat of tin, with quicksilver, laid on the back of a looking-glass, to cause reflection. 5. (Arch.) The space between the cusps in Gothic architecture; a rounded or leaflike ornament, in windows, niches, etc. A group of foils is called trefoil, quatrefoil, quinquefoil, etc., according to the number of arcs of which it is composed. Foil stone, an imitation of a jewel or precious stone.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Foil Foil, v. t. [See 6th File.] To defile; to soil. [Obs.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Foil Foil, n. 1. Failure of success when on the point of attainment; defeat; frustration; miscarriage. --Milton. Nor e'er was fate so near a foil. --Dryden. 2. A blunt weapon used in fencing, resembling a smallsword in the main, but usually lighter and having a button at the point. Blunt as the fencer's foils, which hit, but hurt not. --Shak. Isocrates contended with a foil against Demosthenes with a word. --Mitford. 3. The track or trail of an animal. To run a foil,to lead astray; to puzzle; -- alluding to the habits of some animals of running back over the same track to mislead their pursuers. --Brewer.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Foil Foil (foil), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Foiled (foild); p. pr. & vb. n. Foiling.] [F. fouler to tread or trample under one's feet, to press, oppress. See Full, v. t.] 1. To tread under foot; to trample. King Richard . . . caused the ensigns of Leopold to be pulled down and foiled under foot. --Knoless. Whom he did all to pieces breake and foyle, In filthy durt, and left so in the loathely soyle. --Spenser. 2. To render (an effort or attempt) vain or nugatory; to baffle; to outwit; to balk; to frustrate; to defeat. And by ? mortal man at length am foiled. --Dryden. Her long locks that foil the painter's power. --Byron. 3. To blunt; to dull; to spoil; as, to foil the scent in chase. --Addison.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(foils, foiling, foiled) 1. Foil consists of sheets of metal as thin as paper. It is used to wrap food in. Pour cider around the meat and cover with foil. ...aluminium foil. 2. If you foil someone's plan or attempt to do something, for example to commit a crime, you succeed in stopping them from doing what they want. (JOURNALISM) A brave police chief foiled an armed robbery on a jewellers' by grabbing the raiders' shotgun... = thwart VERB: V n 3. If you refer to one thing or person as a foil for another, you approve of the fact that they contrast with each other and go well together, often in a way that makes the second thing or person seem better or less harmful. He thought of her serenity as a foil for his intemperance... A cold beer is the perfect foil for a curry. = complement N-COUNT: usu sing, N for n [approval]

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. Defeat, frustrate, balk, baffle, thwart check, circumvent, disappoint, checkmate. II. n. 1. Film, flake, lamina (of metal). 2. Contrast, background, set-off. 3. Blunted rapier.

Moby Thesaurus

Roscius, actor, actress, antagonist, antipode, antipodes, antipole, antithesis, antonym, background, background detail, bad guy, baffle, bafflement, balk, balking, barnstormer, beat, bilbo, bilk, blast, brave, broadsword, buffalo, cast down, challenge, character, character actor, character man, character woman, check, checkmate, child actor, circumvent, claymore, coat, coating, collop, confound, confounding, confront, confusion, contra, contravene, converse, counter, counteract, counterbalance, countercheck, countermand, counterpoint, counterpoise, counterpole, counterterm, counterwork, covering, cross, curb, cut, cutlass, dash, daunt, deal, deceive, decorative composition, decorative style, defeat, defeat expectation, defy, design, destroy, detail, disappoint, discomfit, discomfiture, disconcert, disconcertion, discountenance, diseur, diseuse, dish, disillusion, disk, disrupt, dissatisfy, dramatizer, elude, embarrass, epee, evade, falchion, faze, feeder, feuille, figure, film, flake, flap, flummox, foiling, fold, foreground detail, form, frustrate, frustration, get around, get round, give the runaround, give the slip, glaive, go one better, hamper, heavy, histrio, histrion, impede, ingenue, inverse, juvenile, knock the chocks, lamella, lamina, laminated glass, laminated wood, lamination, lap, layer, leaf, let down, matinee idol, membrane, mime, mimer, mimic, monologist, motif, mummer, national style, nonplus, nullify, obverse, offset, opposite, opposite number, ornamental motif, outfigure, outflank, outgeneral, outguess, outmaneuver, outplay, outreach, outsmart, outwit, overreach, pane, panel, pantomime, pantomimist, parry, pass the buck, patina, pattern, peel, pellicle, period style, perplex, plait, plank, plate, plating, playactor, player, ply, plywood, protean actor, rapier, rasher, rattle, rebuff, reciter, repeated figure, repulse, restrain, reversal, reverse, rout, ruin, saber, sabotage, safety glass, scale, scimitar, scotch, scum, setback, setoff, setting, sheet, skin, slab, slat, slice, soubrette, spike, spoil, stage performer, stage player, stonewall, stooge, straight man, stroller, strolling player, stump, style, table, tablet, tantalize, tease, the contrary, the other side, theatrical, theme, thespian, thwart, thwarting, touch, trouper, tuck, upset, utility man, veneer, victimize, villain, vis-a-vis, wafer