6  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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. 
 
  2.  (Jewelry)  A  thin  leaf  of  sheet  copper  silvered  and 
  burnished,  and  afterwards  coated  with  transparent  colors 
  mixed  with  isinglass;  --  employed  by  jewelers  to  give 
  color  or  brilliancy  to  pastes  and  inferior  stones.  --Ure. 
 
  3.  Anything  that  serves  by  contrast  of  color  or  quality  to 
  adorn  or  set  off  another  thing  to  advantage. 
 
  As  she  a  black  silk  cap  on  him  began  To  set  for 
  foil  of  his  milk-white  to  serve.  --Sir  P. 
  Sidney. 
 
  Hector  has  a  foil  to  set  him  off  --Broome. 
 
  4.  A  thin  coat  of  tin,  with  quicksilver,  laid  on  the  back  of 
  a  looking-glass,  to  cause  reflection. 
 
  5.  (Arch.)  The  space  between  the  cusps  in  Gothic 
  architecture;  a  rounded  or  leaflike  ornament,  in  windows, 
  niches,  etc  A  group  of  foils  is  called  trefoil, 
  quatrefoil,  quinquefoil  etc.,  according  to  the  number  of 
  arcs  of  which  it  is  composed. 
 
  {Foil  stone},  an  imitation  of  a  jewel  or  precious  stone. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Foil  \Foil\,  v.  t.  [See  6th  {File}.] 
  To  defile;  to  soil.  [Obs.] 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Foil  \Foil\,  n. 
  1.  Failure  of  success  when  on  the  point  of  attainment; 
  defeat;  frustration;  miscarriage.  --Milton. 
 
  Nor  e'er  was  fate  so  near  a  foil.  --Dryden. 
 
  2.  A  blunt  weapon  used  in  fencing,  resembling  a  smallsword  in 
  the  main,  but  usually  lighter  and  having  a  button  at  the 
  point. 
 
  Blunt  as  the  fencer's  foils,  which  hit,  but  hurt 
  not  --Shak. 
 
  Isocrates  contended  with  a  foil  against  Demosthenes 
  with  a  word  --Mitford. 
 
  3.  The  track  or  trail  of  an  animal. 
 
  {To  run  a  foil},to  lead  astray;  to  puzzle;  --  alluding  to  the 
  habits  of  some  animals  of  running  back  over  the  same  track 
  to  mislead  their  pursuers.  --Brewer. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Foil  \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. 
 
  King  Richard  .  .  .  caused  the  ensigns  of  Leopold  to 
  be  pulled  down  and  foiled  under  foot.  --Knoless. 
 
  Whom  he  did  all  to  pieces  breake  and  foyle,  In 
  filthy  durt,  and  left  so  in  the  loathely  soyle. 
  --Spenser. 
 
  2.  To  render  (an  effort  or  attempt)  vain  or  nugatory;  to 
  baffle;  to  outwit;  to  balk;  to  frustrate;  to  defeat. 
 
  And  by  ?  mortal  man  at  length  am  foiled.  --Dryden. 
 
  Her  long  locks  that  foil  the  painter's  power. 
  --Byron. 
 
  3.  To  blunt;  to  dull;  to  spoil;  as  to  foil  the  scent  in 
  chase.  --Addison. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  foil 
  n  1:  a  very  thin  and  flexible  sheet  of  metal;  "the  photographic 
  film  was  wrapped  in  foil" 
  2:  a  positive  photograph  or  drawing  on  a  transparent  base; 
  viewed  with  a  projector  [syn:  {transparency}] 
  3:  a  light  slender  flexible  sword  tipped  by  a  button 
  v  1:  enhance  by  contrast;  "In  this  picture,  the  figures  are 
  foiled  against  the  background" 
  2:  to  hinder  or  prevent  (the  efforts,  plans,  or  desires)  of: 
  "What  ultimately  frustrated  every  challenger  was  Ruth's 
  amazing  September  surge."  [syn:  {thwart},  {queer},  {spoil}, 
  {scotch},  {cross},  {frustrate},  {baffle},  {bilk}] 
  3:  cover  with  foil 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  FOIL 
 
  File  Oriented  Interpretive  Language.  CAI  language. 
 
  ["FOIL  -  A  File  Oriented  Interpretive  Language", 
  J.C.  Hesselbart  Proc  ACM  23rd  National  Conf  (1968)]. 
 
 

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