Foil

v. t. [imp. & p. p. FOILED; p. pr. & vb. n. FOILING.] [Fr. fouler, to tread or trample under one's feet, to press, oppress, Pr. folar, It. follare, Sp. hollar. Cf. O. Fr. afoler, to wound, bruise, ruin, Pr. afolar, O. Sp. afollar; It. afollare, to crowd or throng together.]

1Sense 1. To beat down with the feet; to trample. [Obs.]

Whom he did all to pieces break and foil.

In filthy dirt, and left so in the loathely soil. Spenser.

2Sense 2. To render vain or nugatory, as an effort or attempt; to frustrate; to defeat; to baffle; to balk; as, the enemy attempted to pass the river, but was foiled; he foiled his adversaries.

And by a mortal man at length am foiled. Dryden.

Her long locks that foil the painter's power. Byron.

3Sense 3. To blunt; to dull. [Obs.]

When light-winged toys

Of feathered Cupid foil, with wanton dullness,

My speculative and active instruments. Shak.

n. [See supra.] 1. The failure of success when on the point of being secured; defeat; frustration; miscarriage.

Death never won a stake with greater toil, Nor e'er was fate so near a foil. Dryden.

2Sense 2. A blunt sword, or one that has a button at the end covered with leather;—used in fencing.

Foil.

Blunt as the fencer's foils, which hit but hurt not. Shak.

Isocrates contended with a foil against Demosthenes with a sword. Milford.