n. [ OE. foil leaf, OF. foil, fuil, fueil, foille, fueille, F. feuille, fr. L. folium, pl. folia; akin to Gr. &unr_; , and perh. to E. blade. Cf. Foliage, Folio. ] 1. A leaf or very thin sheet of metal; as, brass foil; tin foil; gold foil. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Jewelry) A thin leaf of sheet copper silvered and burnished, and afterwards coated with transparent colors mixed with isinglass; -- employed by jewelers to give color or brilliancy to pastes and inferior stones. Ure. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Anything that serves by contrast of color or quality to adorn or set off another thing to advantage. [ 1913 Webster ]

As she a black silk cap on him began
To set, for foil of his milk-white to serve. Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hector has a foil to set him off. Broome. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A thin coat of tin, with quicksilver, laid on the back of a looking-glass, to cause reflection. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Arch.) The space between the cusps in Gothic architecture; a rounded or leaflike ornament, in windows, niches, etc. A group of foils is called trefoil, quatrefoil, quinquefoil, etc., according to the number of arcs of which it is composed. [ 1913 Webster ]

Foil stone, an imitation of a jewel or precious stone. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Foiled p. pr. & vb. n. Foiling. ] [ F. fouler to tread or trample under one's feet, to press, oppress. See Full, v. t. ] 1. To tread under foot; to trample. [ 1913 Webster ]

King Richard . . . caused the ensigns of Leopold to be pulled down and foiled under foot. Knoless. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whom he did all to pieces breake and foyle,
In filthy durt, and left so in the loathely soyle. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To render (an effort or attempt) vain or nugatory; to baffle; to outwit; to balk; to frustrate; to defeat. [ 1913 Webster ]

And by &unr_; mortal man at length am foiled. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Her long locks that foil the painter's power. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To blunt; to dull; to spoil; as, to foil the scent in chase. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ See 6th File. ] To defile; to soil. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Failure of success when on the point of attainment; defeat; frustration; miscarriage. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nor e'er was fate so near a foil. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A blunt weapon used in fencing, resembling a smallsword in the main, but usually lighter and having a button at the point. [ 1913 Webster ]

Blunt as the fencer's foils, which hit, but hurt not. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Isocrates contended with a foil against Demosthenes with a word. Mitford. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The track or trail of an animal. [ 1913 Webster ]

To run a foil, to lead astray; to puzzle; -- alluding to the habits of some animals of running back over the same track to mislead their pursuers. Brewer. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being foiled. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who foils or frustrates. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Arch.) A foil. Simmonds. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. foulées. See 1st Foil. ] (Hunting) The track of game (as deer) in the grass. [ 1913 Webster ]