foil
noun /fɔɪl/
/fɔɪl/
- (also tinfoil)(British English also silver foil)[uncountable] metal made into very thin sheets that is used for covering or wrapping things, especially food
- (British English) aluminium foil
- (North American English) aluminum foil
- Cover the fish loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- I wrapped the sandwiches in kitchen foil.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- aluminium
- aluminum
- gold
- …
- piece
- sheet
- roll
- …
- cover something with
- wrap something in
- [uncountable] paper that is covered in very thin sheets of metal
- The chocolates are individually wrapped in gold foil.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- aluminium
- aluminum
- gold
- …
- piece
- sheet
- roll
- …
- cover something with
- wrap something in
- [countable] foil (for somebody/something) a person or thing that contrasts with, and therefore emphasizes, the qualities of another person or thing
- The pale walls provide a perfect foil for the furniture.
- His mellow guitar technique is the ideal foil for her soaring voice.
Extra Examples- She has used mosses as a foil for the bright red flowers in the bed.
- The couple provided the perfect foil for one another.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- good
- ideal
- perfect
- …
- be
- provide
- as a foil
- foil for
- foil to
- …
- [countable] a long thin light sword used in the sport of fencingTopics Sports: other sportsc2
enlarge image
Word Originnoun senses 1 to 3 Middle English: via Old French from Latin folium ‘leaf’. noun sense 4 late 16th cent.: of unknown origin.