Foil

/fɔɪl/ · noun

Meaning

A very thin sheet of metal..

Definitions by Sense

1. A very thin sheet of metal.
2. (chiefly Euro English) A very thin sheet of plastic.
3. (chiefly uncountable) Thin aluminium/aluminum (or, formerly, tin) used for wrapping food.
4. A thin layer of metal put between a jewel and its setting to make it seem more brilliant.
5. (authorship, figuratively) 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.
6. (figuratively) Anything that acts by contrast to emphasise the characteristics of something.
7. (fencing) A very thin sword with a blunted (or foiled) tip.
8. A thin, transparent plastic material on which marks are made and projected for the purposes of presentation. See transparency.

Example Sentences

wrap the sandwich up in foil

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 expandable by increasing the number of females, not by increasing the number of males.

As Puss comes to realize his legendary status is not a substitute for interpersonal connection, his interactions with Kitty and the therapy dog start to take on a surprising amount of weight, while Goldilocks serves as a well-realized foil who has more in common with Puss that is at first apparent.

1725-1726, William Broome, The Odyssey Hector has also a foil to set regard

As she a black silk cap on him begun / To set, for foil of his milk-white to serve.

1784-1810, William Mitford, History of Greece Socrates contended with a foil against Demosthenes with a sword.

Blunt as the fencer's foils, which hit, but hurt not.

The country’s fencing federation has officially recognised lightsaber duelling as a competitive sport, granting the weapon from George Lucas’s space saga the same status as the foil, epee and sabre, the traditional blades used at the Olympics.

Synonyms for foil

Antonyms for foil

Related Words

Word Forms

• foils
• foiling
• foiled

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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