foilnoun
uk/fɔɪl/us/fɔɪl/foil noun (METAL SHEET)
[ U ] a very thin sheet of metal, especially used to wrap food in to keep it fresh:
tin foil
UK aluminium foil
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Preserving & storing food
- bin
- bread basket
- bread bin
- brine
- caddy
- defrost
- dried
- food technology
- freeze
- freeze-dry
- frozen
- glacé
- lunchbox
- preserve
- reconstitute
- refrigerate
- saltpetre
- souse
- soused
- vacuum-packed
See more results »
foil noun (COMPARISON)
[ C ] something or someone that makes another's good or bad qualities more noticeable:
The older, cynical character in the play is the perfect foil for the innocent William.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Useful or advantageous
- a pearl of great price idiom
- a place in the sun idiom
- advantageous
- all-singing
- amiss
- corrective
- expedient
- favourable
- fodder
- fruitful
- fruitfulness
- general
- palliative
- profitable
- repay
- repay sb's effort, time, attention, etc. idiom
- respite
- salutary
- serviceable
- sniff
See more results »
foil noun (SWORD)
[ C ] a thin, light sword used in the sport of fencing
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Fighting sports
- all-in wrestling
- arm-wrestling
- bantamweight
- black belt
- body blow
- flyweight
- gumshield
- heavyweight
- jab
- jiujitsu
- judo
- knockout
- left-hander
- punching bag
- rope
- roundhouse kick
- sabre
- savate
- spar
- wrestler
See more results »
foilverb [ T ]
uk/fɔɪl/us/fɔɪl/to prevent someone or something from being successful:
The prisoners' attempt to escape was foiled at the last minute when police received a tip-off.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Preventing and impeding
- avert
- avoid
- avoidable
- bar
- be a drag on sb/sth idiom
- block sth out
- blot
- bottleneck
- derail
- fireproof
- hold out on sb
- hold sb/sth back
- holding pattern
- impede
- impedimenta
- prevention is better than cure idiom
- preventive
- prohibit
- pull
- pull the rug from under sb's feet idiom
See more results »