foil
foil — noun
1. a bendable metal sheet, commonly made of aluminium, that you put over or wrap ar
a bendable metal sheet, commonly made of aluminium, that you put over or wrap around food for cooking or storing it without drying out
Antonia covered the baking tray with foil to stop the food from sticking.
Emre wrapped his leftover pizza in foil and put it in the refrigerator.
collocation: wrap [food] in foil
The recipe says to cover the dish with foil before baking it in the oven.
A roll of foil costs very little and lasts for weeks in the kitchen.
- aluminium foil
the exact name of the material; more explicit than 'foil'
- tin foil
older term, still used informally despite modern products being aluminium
- silver foil
common in British English for shiny cooking foil
文法句型
a sheet/roll/piece of foil
wrap [food] in foil
cover with foil
用法筆記
In everyday conversation, 'foil' by itself almost always means aluminium foil used in the kitchen. The older term 'tin foil' is still used informally by some speakers, though modern products are almost never made of tin.
常見錯誤
2. a small piece of thin metal or paper that hairdressers wrap around strands of ha
a small piece of thin metal or paper that hairdressers wrap around strands of hair when colouring or adding highlights
The hairdresser placed a foil under each section of hair before applying the dye.
place a foil under [hair section]
Romi's highlights took two hours because the stylist used forty small foils.
After removing the foils, Christopher's hair had streaks of caramel and gold.
Hari asked for subtle highlights, so the stylist used only eight foils.
- highlighting foil
the full term used in salon supply catalogues
- tinfoil
sometimes used informally for home highlighting kits
文法句型
place a foil under [hair section]
remove the foils
use [number] foils
用法筆記
This sense appears almost exclusively in hairdressing contexts. Outside a salon, 'foil' without context is more likely to be understood as kitchen foil (sense 1).
3. a figure or element that, through its own opposing traits, makes the features of
a figure or element that, through its own opposing traits, makes the features of whoever it accompanies stand out more sharply
In the movie, the quiet librarian is a perfect foil for the loud detective.
a perfect foil for [someone]
The plain white wall served as a foil for the bright, colourful paintings.
serve as a foil for
Obi's calm and patient manner was a good foil for Esteban's quick temper.
The sweet mango sauce was a foil to the spicy grilled fish on the plate.
- complement
focuses on how two things work well together, not necessarily contrast
- contrast
more general; a foil is a specific kind of contrast that highlights qualities
- opposite
stronger and more absolute; a foil does not need to be a complete opposite
- match
two things that are alike in character do not serve as foils for each other
文法句型
a foil for [something]
a foil to [something]
serve as a foil
be a perfect foil
用法筆記
Very common in literary analysis: authors create a 'foil character' whose traits highlight those of the main character. Distinguish from sense 1 — this is always an abstract or social comparison, never a physical object.
常見錯誤
4. a lightweight, narrow-bladed sword with a flexible rectangular section and a blu
a lightweight, narrow-bladed sword with a flexible rectangular section and a blunted point, employed in fencing competitions
Nicholas picked up his foil and stepped onto the long, narrow fencing strip.
The coach showed the beginners how to hold the foil and move their feet correctly.
hold the foil
A foil is much lighter and more flexible than a traditional military sword.
Ilan scored the winning point with a fast, clean thrust of his foil.
文法句型
hold a foil
thrust with a foil
use a foil
用法筆記
One of three weapons in modern fencing, along with the épée (heavier, stiffer) and the sabre (used with cutting motions). The foil is the lightest and is typically used for learning the basics of the sport.
foil — verb
1. to stop a plan, attempt, or illegal activity from succeeding, especially before
to stop a plan, attempt, or illegal activity from succeeding, especially before it can happen
The airport security team foiled the plan to carry dangerous items onto the plane.
foil a plan
Hyun's attempt to climb the mountain was foiled by a sudden snowstorm.
foiled by [obstacle]
Police foiled the robbery when an officer noticed something unusual outside the bank.
Dario's hopes of winning the competition were foiled by a last-minute spelling error.
文法句型
foil + noun phrase (a plan, attempt, plot, robbery)
be foiled by [obstacle]
用法筆記
Very common in news reporting about stopped crimes, security threats, or failed conspiracies. The object is usually a plan or attempt rather than a person directly, though 'foil someone' is occasionally found in formal writing.
常見錯誤
2. to make the qualities of something stand out more strongly by placing it next to
to make the qualities of something stand out more strongly by placing it next to something very different in character or appearance
The dark velvet background foiled the diamond, making every sparkle visible.
foil + object; making it [more]
Élise's quiet, thoughtful personality was foiled by her brother's loud enthusiasm.
The simple white frame foiled the vivid blues and greens in the painting.
Silver leaves in the garden foil the deep red flowers planted next to them.
- set off
phrasal verb meaning the same; less formal and more common in speech
- complement
stronger harmony rather than striking contrast; less dramatic
- clash with
to create an unpleasant rather than enhancing contrast
文法句型
foil + noun phrase
be foiled by [contrast]
[quality] foils [quality]
用法筆記
This verb sense is less common than the noun 'foil' (sense 3, contrast). The phrasal construction 'serve as a foil to' is far more frequent in everyday English. This verb form tends to appear in literary or descriptive writing.