Foil
/fɔɪl/noun
A thin piece of metal.
She wrapped the sandwich in aluminum foil.
Often appears as...
- aluminium foil
- tin foil
verb
To prevent from being successful.
The police were able to foil the criminals' plans
Often appears as...
- foil a plot
- foil an attempt
Usage tips
Disapproving
noun
A character who contrasts with another character.
In the play, the villain is a perfect foil to the hero.
Often appears as...
- literary foil
- character's foil
Usage tips
Literary
noun
A sword used in fencing.
He picked up his foil and assumed the starting position.
Often appears as...
- fencing foil
- foil bout
noun
A thin piece of metal.
She wrapped the sandwich in aluminum foil.
Often appears as...
- aluminium foil
- tin foil
verb
To prevent from being successful.
The police were able to foil the criminals' plans
Often appears as...
- foil a plot
- foil an attempt
Usage tips
Disapproving
noun
A character who contrasts with another character.
In the play, the villain is a perfect foil to the hero.
Often appears as...
- literary foil
- character's foil
Usage tips
Literary
noun
A sword used in fencing.
He picked up his foil and assumed the starting position.
Often appears as...
- fencing foil
- foil bout
Definition 1 of 4
Pro Tip 1/3Kitchen Essential
Often used in cooking contexts to describe material for wrapping or covering food.
Place the chicken on a sheet of foil before baking.
Pro Tip 2/3Heat Conductor
Foil is mentioned in contexts where heat reflection or preservation is needed.
Wrap potatoes in foil to grill them evenly.
Pro Tip 3/3Preservation
Foil is often referred to as a means of preserving food's freshness.
Cover the leftovers with foil to keep them fresh.
Compare with
blockcountercounteractfrustratehinderobstructpreventthwart
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Video examples
Jay Silver: Hack a...
are setting up the piano stairs, and how cool that is? Well, I think it's cool, but we should be doing that stuff ourselves. It shouldn't be a set of experts engineering the way the world works. We should all be participating in changing the way the world works together. Aluminum foil. Everybody has a cat.
Video examples
The 2,400-year search...
by shooting small, positively charged alpha particles at a sheet of gold foil. Under Thompson's model, the atom's thinly dispersed positive charge would not be enough to deflect the particles in any one place. The effect would have been like a bunch of tennis balls punching through a thin paper screen.
Video examples
Watch the Total Solar...
or sorry a cereal box is actually really because it's right side and so what you're gonna do is you're increase your box yes you need a screwdriver foil is helpful and a pair of scissors and also some white paper because I think this is the important part so you'll trace the bottom of the cereal
Video examples
A printable, flexible,...
Here, the roofs are not designed to bear additionally heavy loads. They aren't designed for snow in winter, for instance, so heavy silicon solar cells cannot be used for light harvesting, but these lightweight solar foils are very well suited. The bendability is important
Video examples
A life-saving invention...
after we tested many different versions and observed the average stride length of a person. Otherwise, people might step over the sensor. We started with a proof of concept built in three days, made out of cardboard and aluminum foil. It worked, for real.
Video examples
What I discovered in New...
and balled-up aluminum foil, and a dead sneaker. And I was astonished, I was very angry, and I was deeply confused. The campers who were too lazy to take out what they had brought in, who did they think would clean up after them?
Video examples
Best Cheetah Moments PIPE...
so far the brothers are winning ostriches have yet to find a way to foil such techniques a cat with a target inside you know the focus in the eyes just the look of that cat she just raises her shoulders up keeping
Video examples
How quantum physics can...
Devices that can measure quantum effects can produce an endless stream of random numbers at high speed. Foiling all those would-be casino criminals. A select group of universities and companies around the world
Video examples
BBC Earth 50 Top Natural...
ostriches have yet to find a way to foil such things even the river normally a lifeline for the animals has almost disappeared yet the mud soup that remains could be concealing a free lunch
Video examples
Context determines...
mountable I went to buku once on a research program and I met principal Ikki and I asked him he said tell me what I look in foil I was at the curator
Video examples
Jay Silver: Hack a...
are setting up the piano stairs, and how cool that is? Well, I think it's cool, but we should be doing that stuff ourselves. It shouldn't be a set of experts engineering the way the world works. We should all be participating in changing the way the world works together. Aluminum foil. Everybody has a cat.
Video examples
The 2,400-year search...
by shooting small, positively charged alpha particles at a sheet of gold foil. Under Thompson's model, the atom's thinly dispersed positive charge would not be enough to deflect the particles in any one place. The effect would have been like a bunch of tennis balls punching through a thin paper screen.
Video examples
Watch the Total Solar...
or sorry a cereal box is actually really because it's right side and so what you're gonna do is you're increase your box yes you need a screwdriver foil is helpful and a pair of scissors and also some white paper because I think this is the important part so you'll trace the bottom of the cereal
Video examples
A printable, flexible,...
Here, the roofs are not designed to bear additionally heavy loads. They aren't designed for snow in winter, for instance, so heavy silicon solar cells cannot be used for light harvesting, but these lightweight solar foils are very well suited. The bendability is important
Video examples
A life-saving invention...
after we tested many different versions and observed the average stride length of a person. Otherwise, people might step over the sensor. We started with a proof of concept built in three days, made out of cardboard and aluminum foil. It worked, for real.
Video examples
What I discovered in New...
and balled-up aluminum foil, and a dead sneaker. And I was astonished, I was very angry, and I was deeply confused. The campers who were too lazy to take out what they had brought in, who did they think would clean up after them?
Video examples
Best Cheetah Moments PIPE...
so far the brothers are winning ostriches have yet to find a way to foil such techniques a cat with a target inside you know the focus in the eyes just the look of that cat she just raises her shoulders up keeping
Video examples
How quantum physics can...
Devices that can measure quantum effects can produce an endless stream of random numbers at high speed. Foiling all those would-be casino criminals. A select group of universities and companies around the world
Video examples
BBC Earth 50 Top Natural...
ostriches have yet to find a way to foil such things even the river normally a lifeline for the animals has almost disappeared yet the mud soup that remains could be concealing a free lunch
Video examples
Context determines...
mountable I went to buku once on a research program and I met principal Ikki and I asked him he said tell me what I look in foil I was at the curator
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Juliet Rylance
English Actress
Producing is a wonderful foil to being an actor: acting being largely about getting out of my head, being present, a little irresponsible, whilst producing is the polar opposite. You need other players to act; you can't act in a void, but producing is about making something out of nothing - conjuring a thought or an idea into reality.
Quote examples
Vivek Oberoi
Indian Actor
In 'Road,' my character is linear and uni-dimensional. It was more of a reacting character. I am a foil to the other characters in the film. It is the most normal character in the most abnormal, extraordinary film.
Quote examples
Jim Lee
South Korean Artist
If you look at the great superheroes in any universe, you will always find that they have the very best super villains opposing them. It's because they are foils; they are people that the heroes play off of.
Quote examples
Fredrick Brennan
Even though Q is at the moment based on Donald Trump, it is certainly possible for a significant faction to rise up that believes he was in the deep state all along and foiled the plan.
Quote examples
Jessalyn Gilsig
Canadian Actress
When you're not playing the hero of the story, then you have to know that you're always a foil for the good guy. I love playing that. I think that's always an interesting place to be.
Quote examples
Forrest Bird
American Inventor
In the human lung, there are millions of air foils, just like aeroplane wings, which facilitate normal breathing.
Quote examples
Josh Tillman
American Musician
Funny is a good foil. Humor is illuminating, and it also gives you power.
Quote examples
William Congreve
English Poet
Wit must be foiled by wit: cut a diamond with a diamond.
Quote examples
Rick James
American Musician
I don't have aluminum foil on my windows anymore.
Quote examples
Kevin Costner
American Actor
I'm a pretty convenient foil for a lot of people.
Quote examples
Juliet Rylance
English Actress
Producing is a wonderful foil to being an actor: acting being largely about getting out of my head, being present, a little irresponsible, whilst producing is the polar opposite. You need other players to act; you can't act in a void, but producing is about making something out of nothing - conjuring a thought or an idea into reality.
Quote examples
Vivek Oberoi
Indian Actor
In 'Road,' my character is linear and uni-dimensional. It was more of a reacting character. I am a foil to the other characters in the film. It is the most normal character in the most abnormal, extraordinary film.
Quote examples
Jim Lee
South Korean Artist
If you look at the great superheroes in any universe, you will always find that they have the very best super villains opposing them. It's because they are foils; they are people that the heroes play off of.
Quote examples
Fredrick Brennan
Even though Q is at the moment based on Donald Trump, it is certainly possible for a significant faction to rise up that believes he was in the deep state all along and foiled the plan.
Quote examples
Jessalyn Gilsig
Canadian Actress
When you're not playing the hero of the story, then you have to know that you're always a foil for the good guy. I love playing that. I think that's always an interesting place to be.
Quote examples
Forrest Bird
American Inventor
In the human lung, there are millions of air foils, just like aeroplane wings, which facilitate normal breathing.
Quote examples
Josh Tillman
American Musician
Funny is a good foil. Humor is illuminating, and it also gives you power.
Quote examples
William Congreve
English Poet
Wit must be foiled by wit: cut a diamond with a diamond.
Quote examples
Rick James
American Musician
I don't have aluminum foil on my windows anymore.
Quote examples
Kevin Costner
American Actor
I'm a pretty convenient foil for a lot of people.
Example 1 of 10
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