foil
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FOIL¹
Where it comes from
Acronym of first outer inner last or similar.
proper noun
- An acronym for the algorithm for multiplying two binomials.
verb FOILs · FOILing · FOILed
- To apply the FOIL algorithm to.
foil²
- /fɔɪl/
Rhymes with -ɔɪl
Where it comes from
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.
noun foils
- A very thin sheet of metal.
- A very thin sheet of plastic.
-
Thin aluminium/aluminum (or, formerly, tin) used for wrapping food.
wrap the sandwich up in foil
Similar: aluminium foil, silver foil, silver paper, tin foil
- A thin layer of metal put between a jewel and its setting to make it seem more brilliant.
- 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. 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
- Anything that acts by contrast to emphasise the characteristics of something. As she a black silk cap on him begun / To set, for foil of his milk-white to serve.
- A very thin sword with a blunted (or foiled) tip. Blunt as the fencer's foils, which hit, but hurt not.
- A thin, transparent plastic material on which marks are made and projected for the purposes of presentation. See transparency.
- 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.
- A stylized flower or leaf.
- Clipping of hydrofoil
- Clipping of aerofoil/airfoil
verb foils · foiling · foiled
- To cover or wrap with foil.
- Clipping of hydrofoil
foil³
- /fɔɪl/
Rhymes with -ɔɪl
Where it comes from
From Middle English foilen (“spoil a scent trail by crossing it”), from Old French fouler (“tread on, trample”), ultimately from Latin fullō (“to trample, full”).
verb foils · foiling · foiled
-
To prevent (something) from being accomplished.
They foiled my plans.
Similar: put the kibosh on, scupper, thwart
- To prevent (someone) from accomplishing something. I was foiled by my superior.
-
To blunt; to dull; to spoil.
they foil the scent of one another.
Similar: mar, mess up, vitiate, ball up, blight, bumble, botch, bugger up, bungle, contaminate, corrupt, crab
- To tread underfoot; to trample. King Richard […] caused the ensigns of Leopold to be pulled down and foiled underfoot.
noun foils
- Failure when on the point of attainment; defeat; frustration; miscarriage. Fame is no plant that grows on mortal foil
- One of the incorrect answers presented in a multiple-choice test.
foil⁴
- /fɔɪl/
Rhymes with -ɔɪl
Where it comes from
From French foulis.
noun foils
-
The track of an animal.
[…]but after giving her a dodge, here's another b— follows me upon the foil.
Similar: spoor
foil⁵
- /fɔɪl/
Rhymes with -ɔɪl
Where it comes from
From mnemonic acronym FOIL (“First Outside Inside Last”).
verb foils · foiling · foiled
- To expand a product of two or more algebraic expressions, typically binomials.
foil⁶
- /fɔɪl/
Rhymes with -ɔɪl
Where it comes from
See file.
foil⁷
- /fɔɪl/
Rhymes with -ɔɪl
noun foils
- A small arc in the tracery of a window, etc.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: cross, transparency, thwart, spoil, scotch, baffle, queer, frustrate, bilk, map, coverage, pre-empt, paper, refill, role, counter
Translations
Every language
noun thin sheet of metal
| Español | lámina de metal, folio |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 포일 poil |
| 日本語 | ホイル hoiru, フォイル foiru, 金属裏張り kinzoku urabari, 箔 haku |
| 中文 | 箔 bó |
| Português | folha |
| Français | feuille de métal |
| Deutsch | Folie |
| Italiano | lamina, lamella |
| Ελληνικά | έλασμα élasma |
| Română | foiță |
| Русский | фольга́ folʹgá, станио́ль staniólʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | lá kim loại |
| العربية | وَرَق waraq |
noun thin aluminium/aluminum or tin used for wrapping food
| Español | papel de aluminio |
|---|---|
| Português | papel-alumínio |
| Français | papier d'aluminium, alu |
| Deutsch | Aluminiumfolie |
| Italiano | carta stagnola |
| Ελληνικά | αλουμινόχαρτο alouminócharto |
| Русский | фольга́ folʹgá |
noun thin layer of metal put between a jewel and its setting to make it seem more brilliant
| हिन्दी | डाक ḍāk |
|---|
noun character who helps emphasise the traits of the main character
| Español | florete |
|---|---|
| Français | faire-valoir |
| Deutsch | Kontrastfigur |
| Italiano | spalla |
noun anything that acts to emphasise the characteristics of something
| Español | complemento |
|---|
noun type of sword used in fencing
| Español | florete |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 플뢰레 peulloere |
| 日本語 | フルーレ furūre |
| 中文 | 花劍 /花剑 huājiàn |
| Português | florete |
| Français | fleuret |
| Deutsch | Florett |
| Italiano | fioretto |
| Ελληνικά | ελαφρύ ξίφος ξιφασκίας elafrý xífos xifaskías |
| Română | floretă |
| Русский | рапи́ра rapíra |
verb prevent from being accomplished
| Español | frustrar, abortar |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 阻止 zǔzhǐ |
| Português | frustrar |
| Français | déjouer, contrecarrer |
| Deutsch | hintertreiben |
| Italiano | sventare |
| Ελληνικά | ματαιώνω mataióno |
| Русский | предотвраща́ть predotvraščátʹ, предотврати́ть predotvratítʹ |
| العربية | فَشَّلَ faššala, أَحْبَطَ ʔaḥbaṭa, أَفْشَلَ ʔafšala |
| עברית | מנע maná |
Talk about this word "foil." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/foil. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. foil. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/foil "foil." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/foil.Cite this
@misc{foil_2026,
title = {foil},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/foil},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
