Nearby Words
verb (used with object)
1.
to prevent the success of; frustrate; balk: Loyal troops foiled his attempt to overthrow the government.
2.
to keep (a person) from succeeding in an enterprise, plan, etc.
noun
3.
Archaic. a defeat; check; repulse.
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Foilable
is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English foilen, < Anglo-French foller, Old French fuler to trample, full (cloth). See full2
1250–1300; Middle English foilen, < Anglo-French foller, Old French fuler to trample, full (cloth). See full2
Related forms
foil·a·ble, adjective
un·foil·a·ble, adjective
Synonyms
1. thwart; impede, hamper.
1. thwart; impede, hamper.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
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Link To foilable
Collins
World English Dictionary
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
foil
"thin sheet of metal," late 14c., from O.Fr. fueille "leaf," from L. folia "leaves," pl. (mistaken for fem. sing.) of folium "leaf" (see folio). The sense of "one who enhances another by contrast" (1580s) is from the practice of backing a gem with metal foil to make it shine
EXPANDbetter. The meaning "light sword used in fencing" (1590s) could be from this sense, or from foil (v.). The modern sense of "metallic food wrap" is from 1946.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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