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Fold Very Common

Fold has 17 different meanings across 2 categories:

Noun · Verb

Definitions
Noun
1

an angular or rounded shape made by folding

"a fold in the napkin"

"a crease in his trousers"

"a plication on her blouse"

"a flexure of the colon"

"a bend of his elbow"

2

a group of people who adhere to a common faith and habitually attend a given church

"The new minister was welcomed by the entire fold at Sunday service."

3

a geological process that causes a bend in a stratum of rock

"The ancient mountains were formed when tectonic forces caused a fold in the underlying layers of sedimentary rock."

4

a group of sheep or goats

"The shepherd walked from one fold to another, checking on his flock at dusk."

5

a folded part (as in skin or muscle)

"The old man winced as he felt a painful fold of skin between his shoulder blades."

6

a pen for sheep

"The shepherd carefully guided his flock into the fold at dusk to protect them from the wolves."

7

the act of folding

"he gave the napkins a double fold"

8

An act of folding.

"The ancient maps folded the rugged terrain of the mountainous region into a single square."

9

A pen or enclosure for sheep or other domestic animals.

10

The Earth; earth; land, country.

In plain English: A fold is when something bends over itself to create a curve or crease, like an accordion.

"She placed her folded coat on the chair before entering the meeting room."

Verb
1

bend or lay so that one part covers the other

"fold up the newspaper"

"turn up your collar"

2

incorporate a food ingredient into a mixture by repeatedly turning it over without stirring or beating

"Fold the egg whites into the batter"

3

cease to operate or cause to cease operating

"The owners decided to move and to close the factory"

"My business closes every night at 8 P.M."

"close up the shop"

4

confine in a fold, like sheep

"The shepherd gently folded his flock into the narrow valley to protect them from the wind."

5

become folded or folded up

"The bed folds in a jiffy"

6

To bend (any thin material, such as paper) over so that it comes in contact with itself.

"The shepherd carefully folded the sheep into their pen at dusk to protect them from the wolves."

7

To confine animals in a fold.

In plain English: To fold means to bend something over itself so it becomes smaller and easier to put away.

"Please fold your napkin before you leave the table."

Usage: Use "fold" to describe bending a flexible object like paper or fabric onto itself, rather than crumpling or tearing it. This action is common when organizing documents or preparing food items such as tortillas and dumplings.

Example Sentences
"She placed her folded coat on the chair before entering the meeting room." noun
"Please fold your napkin before you leave the table." verb
"She decided to fold her laundry before dinner." verb
"The soldier had to fold quickly when the enemy appeared." verb
"Please do not fold your arms while I am talking." verb
Related Terms
wallet tag valley fold syncline billfold stir dead money foldaway crinkle mesocyst sit out crush bellows mesocaecum lirk oxysome microfolding campstool lappet interfold
Antonyms
spread open up
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
angular shape social group geological process animal group structure pen change of shape change surface integrate restrain change
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
pleat kink pucker flock epicanthus vocal cord ruga tentorium plication furrow wrinkle corrugate ruffle tuck crimp cross collapse adjourn rumple

Origin

The word "fold" comes from Old English fealdan and originally meant to bend or crease something into layers. It traveled directly into Modern English as a common term for this action without changing its core meaning over time.

Rhyming Words
old mold dold yold sold bold gold wold told rold cold 2 old efold woold ahold scold 3 old acold 4 old kobold
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