foil

foil
1.
v. & n.
—v.tr.
1 frustrate, baffle, defeat.
2 Hunting a run over or cross (ground or a scent) to confuse the hounds. b (absol.) (of an animal) spoil the scent in this way.
—n.
1 Hunting the track of a hunted animal.
2 archaic a repulse or defeat.
Etymology: ME, = trample down, perh. f. OF fouler to full cloth, trample, ult. f. L fullo FULLER(1)
2.
n.
1 a metal hammered or rolled into a thin sheet (tin foil). b a sheet of this, or of tin amalgam, attached to mirror glass as a reflector. c a leaf of foil placed under a precious stone etc. to brighten or colour it.
2 a person or thing that enhances the qualities of another by contrast.
3 Archit. a leaf-shaped curve formed by the cusping of an arch or circle.
Etymology: ME f. OF f. L folium leaf, and f. OF foille f. L folia (pl.)
3.
n. a light blunt-edged sword with a button on its point used in fencing.
Derivatives:
foilist n.
Etymology: 16th c.: orig. unkn.
4.
n. = HYDROFOIL.
Etymology: abbr.

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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  • Foil — may refer to:Materials: * Metal leaf, a thin sheet of metal * Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food * Plastic foil, a thin layer of plastics Fluid Mechanics: * Foil (fluid mechanics), a type of wing or blade used to provide lift * Foil… …   Wikipedia

  • Foil — Foil, n. [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}.] 1. A leaf or very thin sheet of metal; as, brass foil; tin foil; gold foil.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Foil — Foil, n. 1. Failure of success when on the point of attainment; defeat; frustration; miscarriage. Milton. [1913 Webster] Nor e er was fate so near a foil. Dryden. [1913 Webster] 2. A blunt weapon used in fencing, resembling a smallsword in the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Foil — (foil), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Foiled} (foild); p. pr. & vb. n. {Foiling}.] [F. fouler to tread or trample under one s feet, to press, oppress. See {Full}, v. t.] 1. To tread under foot; to trample. [1913 Webster] King Richard . . . caused the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • foil — foil1 [foil] vt. [ME foilen < OFr fuler, to trample on, subdue: see FULL2] 1. to keep from being successful; thwart; frustrate 2. Hunting to make (a scent, trail, etc.) confused, as by recrossing, in order to balk the pursuers n. 1. Archaic… …   English World dictionary

  • foil — [ fɔjl ] n. m. • 1979; mot angl. « feuille, lame » ♦ Anglic. Plan porteur équipant les bateaux capables de déjauger. Foils latéraux de l hydroptère. ● foil nom masculin (anglais foil, feuille) Plan porteur inclinable destiné aux embarcations… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • FOIL — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda FOIL es un algoritmo usado en informática en el campo de la inteligencia artificial y más concretamente en el campo de la programación lógica inductiva (ILP) para aprender reglas de la lógica de primer orden que… …   Wikipedia Español

  • foil — Ⅰ. foil [1] ► VERB ▪ prevent the success of. ORIGIN originally in the sense «trample down»: perhaps from Old French fouler to full cloth, trample , from Latin fullo fuller . Ⅱ. foil [2] ► NOUN 1) metal h …   English terms dictionary

  • Foil — Foil, v. t. [See 6th {File}.] To defile; to soil. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • foil — I verb baffle, balk, be obstructive, bring to naught, cause to be nugatory, check, confound, counter, counteract, countermine, cripple, crush, dash, dash one s hopes, defeat, disable, disappoint, disrupt, eludere, frustrate, get in the way of,… …   Law dictionary

  • foil — [n] contrast antithesis, background, complement, counterblow, defense, guard, setting; concept 665 foil [v] circumvent, nip in the bud baffle, balk, beat, bilk, bollix*, buffalo*, check, checkmate, counter, crab, cramp, crimp, curb, dash, defeat …   New thesaurus

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