foil

foil — noun

1. a bendable metal sheet, commonly made of aluminium, that you put over or wrap ar

1.nounA2
Definition

a bendable metal sheet, commonly made of aluminium, that you put over or wrap around food for cooking or storing it without drying out

Example

Antonia covered the baking tray with foil to stop the food from sticking.

Emre wrapped his leftover pizza in foil and put it in the refrigerator.

collocation: wrap [food] in foil

Common collocations
  • wrap in foil
  • cover with foil
  • a sheet of foil
  • a roll of foil
  • foil tray
  • foil wrapper
Synonyms
  • aluminium foil

    the exact name of the material; more explicit than 'foil'

  • tin foil

    older term, still used informally despite modern products being aluminium

  • silver foil

    common in British English for shiny cooking foil

Grammar Patterns

a sheet/roll/piece of foil

wrap [food] in foil

cover with foil

Usage Note

In everyday conversation, 'foil' by itself almost always means aluminium foil used in the kitchen. The older term 'tin foil' is still used informally by some speakers, though modern products are almost never made of tin.

Common Mistakes

I bought a foil of chocolate.
I bought a chocolate bar wrapped in foil.
'foil' is the metal sheet, not a unit or wrapper by itself.

2. a small piece of thin metal or paper that hairdressers wrap around strands of ha

2.nounB1
Definition

a small piece of thin metal or paper that hairdressers wrap around strands of hair when colouring or adding highlights

Example

The hairdresser placed a foil under each section of hair before applying the dye.

place a foil under [hair section]

Romi's highlights took two hours because the stylist used forty small foils.

Common collocations
  • place a foil
  • wrap a foil around hair
  • remove the foils
  • foil highlights
Synonyms
  • highlighting foil

    the full term used in salon supply catalogues

  • tinfoil

    sometimes used informally for home highlighting kits

Grammar Patterns

place a foil under [hair section]

remove the foils

use [number] foils

Usage Note

This sense appears almost exclusively in hairdressing contexts. Outside a salon, 'foil' without context is more likely to be understood as kitchen foil (sense 1).

3. a figure or element that, through its own opposing traits, makes the features of

3.nounB2
Definition

a figure or element that, through its own opposing traits, makes the features of whoever it accompanies stand out more sharply

Example

In the movie, the quiet librarian is a perfect foil for the loud detective.

a perfect foil for [someone]

The plain white wall served as a foil for the bright, colourful paintings.

serve as a foil for

Common collocations
  • perfect foil
  • ideal foil
  • good foil
  • serve as a foil
  • act as a foil
  • foil to
  • foil for
Synonyms
  • complement

    focuses on how two things work well together, not necessarily contrast

  • contrast

    more general; a foil is a specific kind of contrast that highlights qualities

  • opposite

    stronger and more absolute; a foil does not need to be a complete opposite

Antonyms
  • match

    two things that are alike in character do not serve as foils for each other

Grammar Patterns

a foil for [something]

a foil to [something]

serve as a foil

be a perfect foil

Usage Note

Very common in literary analysis: authors create a 'foil character' whose traits highlight those of the main character. Distinguish from sense 1 — this is always an abstract or social comparison, never a physical object.

Common Mistakes

The character is a foil of the hero.
The character is a foil to the hero.' or 'The character is a foil for the hero.
use 'to' or 'for', not 'of'.

4. a lightweight, narrow-bladed sword with a flexible rectangular section and a blu

4.nounB1
Definition

a lightweight, narrow-bladed sword with a flexible rectangular section and a blunted point, employed in fencing competitions

Example

Nicholas picked up his foil and stepped onto the long, narrow fencing strip.

The coach showed the beginners how to hold the foil and move their feet correctly.

hold the foil

Common collocations
  • fencing foil
  • foil blade
  • hold a foil
  • thrust with a foil
  • foil bout
  • foil fencer
Synonyms
  • épée

    a heavier fencing sword with a stiffer blade; not interchangeable with foil

  • sabre

    a fencing sword used with both thrusting and cutting; wider blade than a foil

Grammar Patterns

hold a foil

thrust with a foil

use a foil

Usage Note

One of three weapons in modern fencing, along with the épée (heavier, stiffer) and the sabre (used with cutting motions). The foil is the lightest and is typically used for learning the basics of the sport.

foil — verb

Word family

  • foiled
    adjectiveC1
  • foiling
    nounC2
  • foiler
    nounC2
  • foilist
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

In the kitchen, 'foil' (or 'aluminium foil') is a thin, bendable metal sheet used for wrapping food or covering dishes during cooking. 'Tin foil' is an older name that many English speakers still use, even though modern products are made from aluminium rather than tin. 'Cling film' (called 'plastic wrap' in American English) serves a similar wrapping purpose but is made from transparent plastic that sticks to itself — it cannot withstand oven heat and does not keep food as fresh for long periods. 'Baking paper' (also called 'parchment paper') is a heat-resistant, non-stick paper used to line baking trays; unlike foil, it does not hold its shape when wrapped around food. Choose 'foil' when you need to cover, shape, or seal food for cooking or cold storage. Choose 'cling film' for quickly covering bowls at room temperature. Choose 'baking paper' when lining a tray for baking.

aluminium foiltin foilcling filmbaking paper

Common collocations

Nouns

  • foil wrapper
  • foil tray
  • foil container
  • foil packet
  • foil highlights

Adverbs

  • narrowly foiled
  • successfully foiled
  • foiled completely

Phrases

  • a roll of foil
  • a sheet of foil
  • act as a foil
  • a foil to
  • a foil for

Prepositions

  • foiled by
  • wrapped in foil
  • covered with foil
  • serve as a foil to

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'foil' in English actually comes from two different historical roots that have merged into the same spelling. The noun senses relating to thin metal (sense 1), hair colouring (sense 2), and the fencing sword (sense 4) all trace back through Old French 'foil' (a leaf) to Latin 'folium' (a leaf) — the imagery of a thin, flat shape like a leaf. The noun sense meaning 'a contrast' (sense 3) grew from the idea that a dark leaf-shaped piece of metal placed behind a gemstone makes it shine brighter. The verb sense 'to thwart' (verb 1) has a completely separate origin: it comes from Old French 'fuler' (to trample), from Latin 'fullare' (to press cloth). The verb meaning 'to enhance by contrast' (verb 2) developed later from the contrast noun sense, not from the thwarting root.