to prevent the success of; frustrate; balk: Loyal troops foiled his attempt to overthrow the government.
to keep (a person) from succeeding in an enterprise, plan, etc.
noun
Archaic. a defeat; check; repulse.
Origin of foil
1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English foilen, fuylen “to trample, oppress, torment, mortify (the flesh),” irregular variant of fullen “to trample, full (cloth),” from Anglo-French foller, Old French fuler, from Vulgar Latin fullāre, from Latin fullō “fuller, launderer”; see full2
metal in the form of very thin sheets: aluminum foil.
the metallic backing applied to glass to form a mirror.
a thin layer of metal placed under a gem in a closed setting to improve its color or brilliancy.
a person or thing that makes another seem better by contrast: The straight man was an able foil to the comic.
Architecture. an arc or a rounded space between cusps, as in the tracery of a window or other ornamentation.
an airfoil or hydrofoil.
verb (used with object)
to cover or back with foil.
to set off by contrast.
Origin of foil
2
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English foil, foille “leaf (of a plant or a book),” from Old French fuelle, fueille, foille (from Latin folia “leaves,” reinterpreted as a feminine singular noun) and from Old French fuel, fueil, foil (from Latin folium “leaf of a plant, blade”)
SYNONYMS FOR foil
4 contrast, complement, counterpart.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR foil ON THESAURUS.COM
Definition for foil (3 of 3)
foil3
[ foil ]
/ fɔɪl /
nounFencing.
a flexible four-sided rapier having a blunt point.
foils,the art or practice of fencing with this weapon, points being made by touching the trunk of the opponent's body with the tip of the weapon.
Later, Melenda would send me off with a warm slice of her homemade rum cake wrapped in aluminum foil.
Until I Can Go Back to My Favorite Restaurant, This Jerk Paste Is the Next Best Thing|Elazar Sontag|September 25, 2020|Eater
Typically, they’re refreshing, tart, and often physically chilled, making an ideal foil to the highly spiced meat.
Turn a cheap chicken dinner into a Turkish street-food getaway|SAVEUR Editors|September 25, 2020|Popular Science
The new design is “tabless,” which means the rolled-up foils inside each cell won’t need a metal tab running its length in order to enable charging and discharging.
Tesla’s new battery tech promises a road to a cheap self-driving electric car|Stan Horaczek|September 24, 2020|Popular Science
He’s turned the group into a boogeyman of sorts, and it serves as a perfect foil for a president and a conservative movement looking to cast the overwhelmingly peaceful participants in protests over police brutality as a group of violent thugs.
What to make of the DHS whistleblower’s shocking complaint|Alex Ward|September 11, 2020|Vox
Line an open box with aluminum foil, and use it to reflect sunlight into the box.
Let’s learn about the sun|Bethany Brookshire|June 24, 2020|Science News For Students
If McConnell really thinks that, then why not foil their scheme by voting yes?
The Gender-Pay Gap: It’s Real, and Yes, It’s Sexism|Monica Potts|September 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
French and Crown one rib rack and season with salt and pepper, cover exposed bones with foil, cook in oven at 350 for 2.5 hours.
Epic Meal Empire’s Meat Monstrosities: From the Bacon Spider to the Cinnabattleship|Harley Morenstein|July 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The image really serves as a foil to the victim on the tape.
True Detective’s Red Herring: Actress Erin Moriarty, Who Plays Marty’s Daughter, Tells All|Marlow Stern|March 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Erica is the foil to the unstable, decaying Beth—a kind, virtuous, smooth-skinned girl next door.
Anna Kendrick: Queen Bee of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival|Marlow Stern|January 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Frank, meanwhile, is a man of few words—a foil to the wide-eyed, chatty Jon.
Michael Fassbender Plays A Rocker in A Papier-Mâché Head in the Strange Sundance Film ‘Frank’|Marlow Stern|January 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There were not enough of them to serve as a foil to the shining deeds which were of daily and hourly occurrence.
Kitchener's Mob|James Norman Hall
It can easily be imagined what description of banter he had to meet and foil.
The Adventures of Harry Richmond, Complete|George Meredith
The foil is not interfered with by your walking over the ground—a matter of much importance, especially on bad-scenting days.
The Dog|Dinks, Mayhew, and Hutchinson
Of course, each night the time of ammunition moving was changed in an attempt to foil the German fire.
Golden Lads|Arthur Gleason and Helen Hayes Gleason
The blade of the foil is almost horizontal, but the point is rather lowered towards the ground.
Every Boy's Book: A Complete Encyclopdia of Sports and Amusements|Various
British Dictionary definitions for foil (1 of 3)
foil1
/ (fɔɪl) /
verb(tr)
to baffle or frustrate (a person, attempt, etc)
hunting(of hounds, hunters, etc) to obliterate the scent left by a hunted animal or (of a hunted animal) to run back over its own trail
archaicto repulse or defeat (an attack or assailant)
noun
huntingany scent that obscures the trail left by a hunted animal
archaica setback or defeat
Derived forms of foil
foilable, adjective
Word Origin for foil
C13 foilen to trample, from Old French fouler, from Old French fuler tread down, full ²
British Dictionary definitions for foil (2 of 3)
foil2
/ (fɔɪl) /
noun
metal in the form of very thin sheetsgold foil; tin foil
the thin metallic sheet forming the backing of a mirror
a thin leaf of shiny metal set under a gemstone to add brightness or colour
a person or thing that gives contrast to another
architecta small arc between cusps, esp as used in Gothic window tracery
short for aerofoil, hydrofoil
verb(tr)
to back or cover with foil
Also: foliatearchitectto ornament (windows) with foils
Word Origin for foil
C14: from Old French foille, from Latin folia leaves, plural of folium
British Dictionary definitions for foil (3 of 3)
foil3
/ (fɔɪl) /
noun
a light slender flexible sword tipped by a button and usually having a bell-shaped guard