FOIL

The word “FOIL” means a very thin, flexible sheet of metal, especially aluminum, used for wrapping food. In plain terms, thin metal sheeting, or to stop a plan from working, or a contrasting character in a story.

“FOIL” is pronounced foyl (/fɔɪl/ in IPA).

Here is “FOIL” used in a sentence: “She wrapped the leftovers in foil before putting them in the fridge.”

Depending on how it is used, “FOIL” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “FOIL” comes from Old French. The "prevent" and "thin metal sheet" senses come from separate Old French roots meaning "to trample" and "leaf" respectively — both eventually collapsed into the single English spelling "foil.".

“FOIL” is an uncommon word in modern English.

“FOIL” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a very thin, flexible sheet of metal, especially aluminum, used for wrapping food.

As a physical material, foil refers to a very thin, flexible sheet of metal such as aluminum foil used for wrapping food. As a literary term, a foil is a character or thing that highlights another's qualities by contrast, an entirely separate figurative sense sharing only the word's spelling.

To foil a plan means to prevent it from succeeding, typically by blocking or outsmarting it at a key moment. For example, "the security guard foiled the robbery attempt."

In fencing, a foil is a thin sword with a blunted tip, used as one of the three weapons in the sport alongside the épée and sabre. It is designed for safe scoring based on touches to the torso.

Aluminum foil is a specific type of foil made from thin sheets of aluminum, commonly used for wrapping and cooking food. The general term foil can refer to thin sheets of any metal, though aluminum foil is the most common household form.