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Foil

Wikipedia

[ English

[ Pronunciation

•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

• Rhymes: -ɔɪl- Coil

[ Noun

foil (countable except as indicated; plural foils)

1. A very thin sheet of metal.
2. (uncountable) Thin aluminium/aluminum (or, formerly, tin) used for wrapping food.
3. A thin layer of metal put between a jewel and its setting to make it seem more brilliant.
4. (figuratively) In literature, theatre/theater, etc, a character who helps emphasize the traits of the main character.
5. (figuratively) Anything that acts to emphasise the characteristics of something.
6. (fencing) A very thin sword with a blunted (or foiled) tip
7. A thin, transparent plastic material on which marks are made and projected for the purposes of presentation. See transparency.
8. Shortened form of hydrofoil.
9. Shortened form of aerofoil/airfoil.

[ Synonyms

• (thin aluminium/aluminum): aluminium foil, silver foil, silver paper, tin foil

[ Translations

shortened form of hydrofoil See hydrofoil

shortened form of aerofoil/airfoil See aerofoil/airfoil

[ Verb

to foil (third-person singular simple present foils, present participle foiling, simple past and past participle foiled)

1. To prevent (something) from being accomplished.
2. (mathematics) To multiply two binomials together.

[ Synonyms

• (prevent (something) from being accomplished): put thee kibosh on, scupper, thwart

[ Translations