Foil

Definition: Foil

Foil

Noun

1. A piece of thin and flexible sheet metal; "the photographic film was wrapped in foil".

2. 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; "the fins of a fish act as hydrofoils".

3. Picture consisting of a positive photograph or drawing on a transparent base; viewed with a projector.

4. A light slender flexible sword tipped by a button.

Verb

1. Enhance by contrast; "In this picture, the figures are foiled against the background".

2. Hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of; "What ultimately frustrated every challenger was Ruth's amazing September surge"; "foil your opponent".

3. Cover or back with foil; "foil mirrors".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "foil" was first used: 13th century "foilen" meaning "to spoil a trace or scent by running over it. (references)

Computing

Industry

Literature

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Synonyms: Foil

Arms

Sword, saber, broadsword, cutlass, falchion, scimitar, cimeter, brand, whinyard, bilbo, glaive, glave, rapier, skean, Toledo, Ferrara, tuck, claymore, adaga, baselard, Lochaber ax, skean dhu, creese, kris, dagger, dirk, banger, poniard, stiletto, stylet, dudgeon, bayonet; sword-bayonet, sword-stick; side arms, foil, blade, steel; ax, bill; pole-ax, battle-ax; gisarme, halberd, partisan, tomahawk, bowie knife; ataghan, attaghan, yataghan; yatacban; assagai, assegai; good sword, trusty sword, naked sword; cold steel.

Contrariety

Noun: contrariety, contrast, foil, oppositeness; contradiction; antagonism; (opposition); clashing, repugnance.

Hindrance

Thwart, frustrate, disconcert, balk, foil; faze, feaze, feeze; baffle, snub, override, circumvent; defeat; spike guns; (render useless); spoil, mar, clip the wings of; cripple; (injure); put an extinguisher on; damp; dishearten; (dissuade); discountenance, throw cold water on, spoil sport; lay a wet blanket, throw a wet blanket on; cut the ground from under one, take the wind out of one's sails, undermine; be in the way of, stand in the way of; act as a drag; hang like a millstone round one's neck.

Layer

Plate; lamina, lamella; sheet, foil; wafer; scale, flake, peel; coat, pellicle; membrane, film; leaf; slice, shive, cut, rasher, shaving, integument; (covering); eschar.

Crosswords: Foil

Portuguese (drainage foil, foil, hydrofoil), Scottish (macerate, pig-stye).

It's a foil, Clark (Smallville; writing credit: Richard Pinto; Sharat Sardana)

He'd rip through us like we were tin foil. (Back to the Future Part II; writing credit: Ronnie Cramer)

I see it as a waste of Baco, the foil. (Spaced; writing credit: Simon Pegg; Jessica Stevenson)

Sabre and Foil (1967)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

References

• Nippon Foil Mfg. Co., Ltd.: International Competitive Benchmarks and Financial Gap Analysis (reference)

• Tokai Aluminum Foil Co., Ltd.: International Competitive Benchmarks and Financial Gap Analysis (reference)

• The World Market for Lead and Lead Alloy Plates, Sheets, Strip, and Foil; Lead Powders; and Lead Flakes: A 2004 Global Trade Perspective (reference)

  (more reference examples)

Books

• Facing a Crowd: How to Foil Your Fear of Public Speaking (reference)

• New Metal Foil Crafts: Simple and Inspiring Crafts to Make at Home (reference)

• Stained Glass: A Guide to Today's Tiffany Copper Foil Technique (reference)

  (more book examples)

Periodicals

• Paper Film & Foil Converter (reference)

  (more periodical examples)

Theater & Movies

• Maskmaking With Foil (reference)

  (more DVD examples; more video examples)

High Tech

• 300-LABELS 3/4IN X 2-1/4IN Address Gold Foil for Inkjets (reference)

• 300-LABELS3/IN X 2-1/4IN Address Silver Foil for Inkjets (reference)

• Fellowes Screen Cleaning Wipes 12 Foil Packs - Pre Moistened (reference)

  (more camera examples; more video game examples; more computer examples; more electronic examples; more software examples)

Consumer Goods

• Vacu Vin Foil Cutter with Magnetic Holder (reference)

  (more baby examples; more wireless phone examples; more garden examples; more kitchen examples; more tool examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

RHD - DET - foil samy. Credit: Flying With NOAA.

Edison Effect lamp with filament and single plate of platinum foil;1883;{11.000/3}.

Ed Wynn scored greatly as "The Fire Chief" with his chief foil, Graham McNamee in the 1930's at the old NBC Times Square studio in New York. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Health

Potatoes which have been baked while wrapped in aluminum foil should be kept hot until served or refrigerated. (references)

Other vehicles of transmission include homemade salsa, baked potatoes cooked in aluminum foil, cheese sauce, garlic in oil, and traditionally prepared salted or fermented fish in Alaska. (references)

Foodborne botulism has often been from home-canned foods with low acid content, such as asparagus, green beans, beets and corn. However, outbreaks of botulism from more unusual sources such as chopped garlic in oil, chile peppers, tomatoes, improperly handled baked potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil, and home-canned or fermented fish. Persons who do home canning should follow strict hygienic procedures to reduce contamination of foods. (references)

Business

Twenty five percent of these companies have invested in packaging, another 25% in building products, 9% in automotive elements, 5% in household consumer goods, and remaining 5% in foil production, foam production, medical products and plastic recycling. (references)

Trade

Ireland

Other items subject to import licensing requirements include coal and lignite fuel, a few products from the chemical and related industries, specified iron and steel products, various textiles and textile products, natural and synthetic precious and semi-precious stones and dust, zinc (plate, sheet, strip, and foil), and controlled items such as arms and munitions. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Expressions using "foil": aluminium foil ♦ aluminum foil ♦ brass foil ♦ copper foil ♦ counter foil ♦ Diem's adhesive foil instrument ♦ drainage foil ♦ Dutch foil ♦ foil box ♦ foil fencing ♦ foil paper ♦ Foil stone ♦ foil unit ♦ gold foil ♦ jet foil ♦ magnesium foil ♦ silver foil ♦ tin foil ♦ To run a foil. Additional references.

Beginning with "foil": foil-covered, foil-embossed, foil-kite, foil-lined, foil-wrapped.

Ending with "foil": aero-foil, aluminium-foil, de-foil, Feather-foil, fencing-foil, gold-foil, mille-foil, silver-foil, tin-foil, Water feather-foil.

Albanian

fletë metalike, zmbraps (beat off, check, drive back, fight off, hold off, repel, repulse, turn), zbukurim tip gjethi, vesh me varak, skermë (fence, fencing, singlestick, swordplay), shpatë skermë, prish gjurmën, petë (lamina, noodles), pengoj (arrest, baffle, balk, baulk, block, clog, cross, cumber, delay, detain, embarrass, encumber, estop, forbid, frustrate, get in the way, hamper, handicap, hedge in, hinder, hobble, impede, inhibit, interfere, interfere with, interrupt, jam, keep away from, let, obstruct, occlude, oppose, preclude, prevent, prohibit, resist, set back, shut in, stumble, trammel, traverse, trouble), nxjerr në pah (heighten, highlight, point out, push forward, silhouette), letër varaku (tinfoil), kontrast (contraposition, contrast, disparity, opposition, set off). (various references)

Arabic 

‏هزم (bear down, beat, best, checkmate, clobber, defeat, dish, dump, finish, floor, go down, hold down, knock off, knock out, lick, outdo, outvote, overcome, overpower, pip, sink, skunk, smash, stop, thrash, vanquish, vote down, whip, wipe out, wipe the floor with smb.), ‏ورقة نبات (blade, leaf), ‏طبقة رقيقة من القصدير, ‏المغول السيف, ‏أحبط (anticipate, balk, block, check, damp, defeat, disappoint, discomfit, disconcert, forestall, frustrate, nullify, ruin, scotch, scuttle, torpedo), ‏رقاقة معدنية, ‏شىء يظهر بالمغايرة. (various references)

Bulgarian 

варак (gilt, gold leaf, plate), парирам (avert, fence, fence off, fend off, ward), побеждавам (beat, conquer, defeat, down, fight down, have, lace, lick, master, mop up, overcome, overmaster, overpower, overthrow, overturn, pip, polish off, prevail, scupper, thrash, triumph, trounce, vanquish, whip, whop, win, worst, zap), покривам с амалгама, амалгама (amalgam), обърквам (abash, addle, baffle, bedevil, befuddle, bewilder, complicate, confound, confuse, discomfit, disconcert, disjoint, dislocate, distract, embarrass, embroil, flatten, flummox, fluster, fuddle, gravel, jumble, maze, mess about, mess around, mess up, muddle, muff, muss, nonplus, obfuscate, overwhelm, perplex, pose, put off, put out, puzzle, sew up, snarl, stonker, throw out, tumble, vex, wilder), диря (clue, scent, seek, slot, trace, track, trail, train, vestige, wake), осуетявам (abort, baffle, disappoint, frustrate, mock, pour cold water on, scatter, scotch, short circuit, sink, spoil, wash out), станиол (silver paper, tin foil, tinfoil), контраст (antithesis, contradistinction, contraposition, contrast, counterpoint, offset, set off), тънък метален лист, фолио (folio), фон (background, distance, field, ground), рапира (rapier, small sword, sword), украсявам с листовиден отвор, отблъсквам (avert, beat off, counter, drive back, estrange, fight off, head off, jar, press back, push away, push back, put off, rebuff, reject, repulse, resist, spurn, stave off, throw back, thrust aside, turn off, ward). (various references)

Chinese 

金屬薄片 , 箔, 挫敗 (defeat, thwart). (various references)

Czech

fleret, fólie (clingfilm), zmařit (baffle, crush, destroy, ditch, frustrate, scotch, stave off, thwart, upset), pokrýt fólií, odvrátit (avert, divert, head off, keep off, stave off, stem, turn, ward off). (various references)

Danish

folie (resist, sheet, sheeting), foil (drainage foil, hydrofoil), fleuret, metalfolie (metal foil). (various references)

Dutch

folie (liner, membrane, sheet, sheeting), foil (drainage foil, hydrofoil), foelie (mace, sheet), floret, dun vel (sheet), bladmetaal (metal foil, sheetmetal). (various references)

Finnish

folio, foili (drainage foil, hydrofoil), floretti, tehdä tyhjäksi (cross, thwart), päästölista (drainage foil, hydrofoil), levy (board, lacquered board, marker, plaque, plate, sheet, tablet, wall plaque), Kalvo (film, membrane, pellicle). (various references)

French

fleuret, feuille mince, feuille de métal (metal foil). (various references)

German

folie (film, leaf, overhead, transparency), Metallfolie (metal foil), florett. (various references)

Greek 

ματαιώνω (abort, balk, call off, cancel, circumvent, forestall, frustrate, nullify, thwart). (various references)

Hebrew 

להפר (annul, break, cancel, contravene, defeat, violate, void), לסכל (baffle, balk, baulk, circumvent, frustrate, make foolish, stultify, thwart), ניר בדיל. (various references)

Hungarian

vívótőr, vadcsapás (runway), kontraszt (contrast, offset, set-off), folpack (clingfilm, plastic wrap, saran wrap, see-through foil), fólia (leaf, leaves), ellentét (antagonism, antitheses, antithesis, clash, contradistinction, contrary, contrast, disaccord, disagreement, offset, reverse, set off, variance). (various references)

Indonesian

floret, menggagalkan (baffle, cause to fail, wreck). (various references)

Italian

foglio (folio, leaf, piece, sheet, sheet of paper), fioretto. (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

ホイヘンスの原理 (Huygens' principle). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

ホイル . (various references)

Korean 

포일. (various references)

Manx

tarmestey (ban, block, blocking, check, checkmate; stonewaller; discouragement, chip in, cross, cross annoy, debar, encroachment, frustrate, frustration, interdict, interdiction, interference, proscribe, proscription, taboo, thwart), scroggyl (neck of bottle), molley (baffle, bafflement, beguile, bluff, cajole, captivate, cheering, deceit, deceive, deception, disappoint, disappointment, fool, impose, imposition, trick), cliwe crammanagh, brat chooylloo. (various references)

Norwegian

forpurre (baffle, frustrate), forhindre (hinder), folie, florett. (various references)

Pig Latin

oilfay.(various references)

Portuguese

florete (rapier, smallsword). (various references)

Romanian

frunzã (foliage, frond, leaf), face sã piardã urmã, foiţã de metal (Spangle), floretã (fencing-foil), rãsturna planurile, poleialã (gilding, tinsel, varnish, veneer), ornamenta cu loburi, monturã a unei pietre preţioase, lob la ferestrele gotice, zãdãrnici (annihilate, cripple, defeat, destroy, discomfit, disturb, frustrate, pip, thwart), scoate în relief prin contrast, înfrânge (bear down, beat down, best, break, curb, defeat, knock, master, overcome, overmatch, overpower, pip, stifle, vanquish, worsen, worst), urma unui animal hãituit, deruta (baffle, confuse, discomfit, entangle, mislead, scatter), dejuca (baffle, balk, baulk, counterwork, defeat, disappoint, discomfit, frustrate, shatter, thwart), ceea ce scoate ceva în relief, amalgam pentru oglinzi, înfrângere (beating, defeat, discomfiture, drubbing, licking, overthrow, reverse). (various references)

Russian 

станиоль (tin foil, tinfoil), расстраивать фольга;рапира, фон (backdrop, background, context, ground-colour), фольга (paillette, tinfoil), контраст (contrast, set off, setoff). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

folija, floret, trag životinje, osujetiti (frustrate, mar, prevent, queer, set back, thwart). (various references)

Spanish

hoja (bill, blade, blank, form, leaf, sheet), florete (floret). (various references)

Swedish

folie (film, leaf, sheet), florett. (various references)

Thai

ห่อด้วยกระดาษฟอยล์. (various references)

Turkish

folyo ile sarmak, folyo döşemek, folyo (leaf), sır (arcana, arcanum, cabala, cabbala, confidence, enamel, glaze, glazing, hugger mugger, huggermugger, luster, lustre, mystery, riddle, secret), meç (rapier, streak), kıyas edilen örnek, itmek (heft, hustle, impel, jog, propel, push, repel, repulse, shove, thrust), eskrim kılıcı (saber, sabre, singlestick), engellemek (balk, bar, baulk, block, circumvent, clamp the lid on smth., clog, counterwork, cramp, Crimp, cross, cumber, dam, dam up, defeat, embarrass, encumber, fetter, gum up, hamper, hedge, hedge about, hedge around, hinder, hobble, impede, inhibit, keep down, keep from, obstruct, preclude, prevent from, put the lid on smth., resist, restrain, save, shut out, snag, stem, stymie, surety, trammel), bozmak (abash, abolish, adulterate, affect, alloy, annihilate, annul, baffle, ball up, barbarize, bedevil, blemish, botch, break, break down, break off, break on, bugger, bugger up, bust, cash, change, circumvent, confound, confuse, contaminate, corrupt, cross, damage, debase, debauch, decay, declare off, deface, defile, destroy, deteriorate, disappoint, disarray, discolor, discolour, discomfit, discomfort, discompose, discountenance, dislocate, dismount, disorder, disrupt, dissolve, distort, disturb, downgrade, emasculate, embarrass, embroil, exchange, explode, fluff, foul, foul up, fumble, garble, goof, goof up, gum up, Harry, impair, indispose, infect, infringe, lead astray, leaven, mangle, Mar, mess, murder, muss, mutilate, obliterate, pervert, pollute, put out, put out of action, put to shame, quash, queer, rattle, reverse, rot, ruffle, ruin, scotch, scupper, shatter, sour, spoil, stymie, taint, thwart, tousle, tumble, undo, unmake, upset, violate, vitiate, whittle away, whittle down, whittle off, wreck), önlemek (arrest, avert, avoid, baffle, bank, circumvent, counterwork, estop, face up to, foreclose, forestall, frustrate, get under control, head off, intercept, jugulate, keep back, obviate, occlude, preclude, prevent, prevent from, prohibit, repress, stay, suppress, thwart, ward, ward off). (various references)

Ukrainian

фольга, контраст (antiperistasis, antithesis, contrast, oppositeness, opposition, set off), амальгама (amalgam), підкреслювати контрастом, покривати фольгою. (various references)

Vietnamese 

sự đánh lui. (various references)

bratteas, folia, fullo. (various references)

fouler, fueille. (various references)

Derivations

Words beginning with "foil": foilable, foiled, foiling, foils, foilsman, foilsmen. (additional references)

Words ending with "foil": aerofoil, airfoil, cinquefoil, counterfoil, hydrofoil, milfoil, quatrefoil, tinfoil, trefoil. (additional references)

Words containing "foil": aerofoils, airfoils, cinquefoils, counterfoils, hydrofoils, milfoils, quatrefoils, tinfoils, trefoils, unfoiled. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Foil" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Faiq, faoil, Feigl, feil, fenil, feyl, filo, fio, Fiom, Fiow, foall, fobi, focil, Fodio, Fofi, foi, foib, foibly, foid, foie, foig, foii, foile, foily, foio, foir, foirl, fois, Foit, foiu, foix, foji, fol, Folin, folit, foll, fonile, fopi, foril, forl, foui, foull, foxill, foyt, fozio, fui, fuli, fuul, loil, ofel, ofi, ofio, Pfeil, zoil. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

Direct Anagrams: filo.

-1 letter: fil, oil.

-2 letters: if, li, lo, of.

+1 letter: fillo, filos, foils, folia, folio.

+2 letters: bifold, fillos, filose, flocci, flooie, florid, florin, foible, foiled, foliar, folios, folium, folkie, follis, fossil, foxily, frijol, frivol, frolic, inflow, infold, olefin, tufoli.

+3 letters: airflow, airfoil, aliform, bifocal, boiloff, coalify, filemot, filmdom, flexion, flokati, floosie, floozie, florins, florist, floruit, flossie, flowing, fluoric, fluorid, fluorin, fluxion, foaling, foamily, foggily, foibles, foiling, folacin, folding, foliage, foliate, folioed, foliose, folious, foliums, folkies, folkish, follies, fooling, foolish, fossils, fouling, fowling, foxlike, foxtail, frijole, frivols, frolics, glorify, golfing, goofily, inflows, infolds, jollify, kinfolk, liftoff, loafing, lobefin, loftier, loftily, lofting, lowlife, milfoil, mollify, monofil, nonlife, offline, oldwife, olefine, olefins, pinfold, profile, rolfing, sixfold, tinfoil, toilful, trefoil, trifold, witloof, wolfing, wolfish.