foil
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /fɔɪl/
rhymes: -ɔɪl
Forms: form: foils
Etymology: From Middle English foyle, from Middle French fueille, from Old French fueille (“plant leaf”), from Late Latin folia, the plural of folium, mistaken as a singular feminine.
The literary sense is from the practice of backing a gem with metal foil to make it shine more brilliantly.
Doublet of folio and folium, distantly also with phyllo and phyllon.
Senses: glosses: A very thin sheet of metal.
examples: text: wrap the sandwich up in foil
glosses: Thin aluminium/aluminum (or, formerly, tin) used for wrapping food.
glosses: A thin layer of metal put between a jewel and its setting to make it seem more brilliant.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 2019, Steve Paul Moxon, “The Sexes Serve to Purge Mutations by Selection on Males, Boosting the Function of Sex to Maintain Genomic Integrity”, in New Male Studies, volume 8, number 1, pages 46–47 of 25–51:
text: 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.
ref: 2022 December 20, Leigh Monson, “Puss In Boots: The Last Wish review: Antonio Banderas leads the best film yet in the Shrek franchise”, in AV Club:
topics: authorship
broadcasting
communications
film
journalism
literature
media
publishing
television
writing
glosses: 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.
examples: text: As she a black silk cap on him begun / To set, for foil of his milk-white to serve.
ref: a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC:
english: The New Arcadia
translation: The New Arcadia
text: 1725-1726, William Broome, The Odyssey
Hector has also a foil to set regard
glosses: Anything that acts by contrast to emphasise the characteristics of something.
examples: text: Blunt as the fencer's foils, which hit, but hurt not.
ref: 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:
text: 1784-1810, William Mitford, History of Greece
Socrates contended with a foil against Demosthenes with a sword.
topics: fencing
government
hobbies
lifestyle
martial-arts
military
politics
sports
war
glosses: A very thin sword with a blunted (or foiled) tip
glosses: A thin, transparent plastic material on which marks are made and projected for the purposes of presentation. See transparency.
examples: text: I personally would collect all the foils from Base Set before this one, but the market is what the market is.
ref: 2016, Pojo's Unofficial Big Book of Pokémon, Triumph Books:
glosses: A premium trading card with a glossy finish.
topics: government
heraldry
hobbies
lifestyle
monarchy
nobility
politics
glosses: A stylized flower or leaf.
topics: geography
hydrodynamics
hydrology
natural-sciences
nautical
physical-sciences
physics
transport
glosses: Clipping of hydrofoil.
topics: aerodynamics
aeronautics
aerospace
aviation
business
engineering
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
physics
glosses: Clipping of aerofoil/airfoil.
Synonyms: sense: thin aluminium/aluminum
word: aluminium foil
sense: thin aluminium/aluminum
word: silver foil
sense: thin aluminium/aluminum
word: silver paper
sense: thin aluminium/aluminum
word: tin foil
Derived terms: aluminum foil
biofoil
blisterfoil
bow foil
cephalofoil
cinquefoil
counterfoil
dufoil
F50
featherfoil
foilboard
foilist
foilsman
foil stone
gold foil
holofoil
jetfoil
octofoil
quatrefoil
rockfoil
rushfoil
sexfoil
tinfoil
tin foil
trefoil
twifoil