foil
/fɔɪl/
verb
- To prevent someone from succeeding or carrying out a plan; to thwart.
- The security guard foiled the thief's attempt to break into the museum.
- Quick thinking by the pilot foiled a potential disaster.
- Her careful planning foiled all of their efforts to surprise her.
noun
- A very thin, flexible sheet of metal, used especially for wrapping food.
- The baker covered the cake with a sheet of foil to keep it fresh.
- Use heavy-duty foil when grilling vegetables to prevent them from burning.
- She wrapped the leftover pizza in aluminum foil.
- A person or thing that contrasts with another, making the other's qualities more noticeable.
- In the movie, the quiet hero is a perfect foil for the loud villain.
- Her calm personality served as a foil to his energetic nature.
- The dark background acted as a foil to make the bright colors stand out.
- A light, thin sword used in the sport of fencing.
- Beginners in fencing usually start with a foil before moving to other swords.
- The fencer's foil bent slightly as she struck her opponent.
- He practiced his lunges with a foil at the fencing club.