foil Meaning, Definition & Usage

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

WordNet

Foil transitive verb
Etymology
F. fouler to tread or trample under one's feet, to press, oppress. See Full, v. t.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Foiled present participle & verbal noun Foiling
Definitions
  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.
Foil transitive verb
Etymology
See 6th File.
Definitions
  1. To defile; to soil. Obs.
Foil noun
Definitions
  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.
    ?socrates contended with a foil against Demosthenes with a word. Mitford.
  3. The track or trail of an animal.
    Brewer.
Foil noun
Etymology
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.
Definitions
  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.

Webster 1913