WordGarden.iofold
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /fˈəʊld/
US
- /ˈfoʊld/
Meanings
Verb
to bend or crease something so one part lies over another
for a business or organization, to close or fail
in a card game, to stop playing a hand and give up one's cards
More meaningsFewer meanings
in cooking, to combine ingredients gently by turning a mixture over itself
Noun
a crease, bend, or overlapping layer in something
a group or community that someone belongs to or joins
Beyond the definition
To fold something means to bend it over on itself, often making a crease. You might fold laundry, fold a piece of paper into a shape, or fold your arms across your chest. It can also mean to give in under pressure. In cooking, you can fold light ingredients into a thicker mixture without stirring too hard. The meaning changes with the situation, but the idea is usually bending, closing, or giving way.
The act of folding is surprisingly versatile. At its most basic, to fold means to bend something, usually a flat material like paper, cloth, or metal, so that one part lies over another part. Think about carefully folding a map so it fits in your pocket, or folding clothes so they are easy to put away. In the kitchen, a cook might fold light ingredients into a heavier mixture to keep the mixture airy.
But fold is not limited to physical actions. It can also describe giving in, collapsing, or stopping. If someone folds under questioning, they give in and admit something. In business, a company can fold, meaning it closes down. In card games, to fold means to give up your hand and leave that round. Geologically, layers of rock can also fold over time because of great pressure.
The word also appears as a noun. A fold can be a line or mark made by bending something. It can also mean a section that has been bent over, or, in older and more figurative use, a group or community, as in "back into the fold." In the natural world and in science, the same idea of bending into layers or curves still appears.
So whether you are putting away clothes, mixing batter, reacting to pressure, studying rock layers, or playing poker, fold carries the idea of bending, closing, giving way, or dropping out. It is a simple word, but it stretches across many everyday and figurative uses.
Examples
- 1
Paper
Fold the paper in half and put it in the envelope.
- 2
Laundry
I folded the clean towels and stacked them on the shelf.
- 3
Cooking
Fold the egg whites into the batter as gently as you can.
- Patternfold X into Y
mix X in gently, without stirring hard
- 4
Body language
She folded her arms and waited for him to answer.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Car seats
The back seats fold down, so we can fit the bikes in the car.
- 6
Fabric
Smooth out the folds in the sheet before you put it on the bed.
- 7
Pressure
He finally folded under pressure and agreed to the deal.
- Phrasefold under pressure
give in when a situation becomes too difficult
- 8
Business closure
The little restaurant folded after its first winter.
- 9
Group inclusion
After a year abroad, she was happy to be back in the fold.
- Phrasein the fold
included in a group again
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- foldnounverb
Forms
- foldedpast tenseverbnoun
- folding-ing formverbnoun
- foldspluralnounverb