fold

(fōld)

1. To bend over or double up so that one part lies on another part: fold a sheet of paper.
2. To make compact by doubling or bending over parts: folded the laundry; folded the chairs for stacking.
3. To bring from an extended to a closed position: The hawk folded its wings.
4. To bring from a compact to an extended position; unfold: folded the ironing board down from the wall; folded out the map to see where we were.
5. To place together and intertwine: fold one's arms.
6. To envelop or clasp; enfold: folded his children to his breast; folded the check into the letter.
7. To blend (a light ingredient) into a heavier mixture with a series of gentle turns: folded the beaten egg whites into the batter.
8. 1. Informal. To discontinue operating; close: They had to fold the company a year after they started it.
   2. Games. To withdraw (one's hand) in defeat, as by laying cards face down on a table.
9. Geology. To form bends in (a stratum of rock).

1. 1. To become folded.
   2. To be capable of being folded: a bed that folds for easy storage.
2. Informal. To close, especially for lack of financial success; fail.
3. Games. To withdraw from a game in defeat.
4. Informal.
   1. To give in; buckle: a team that never folded under pressure.
   2. To weaken or collapse from exertion.

1. The act or an instance of folding.
2. A part that has been folded over or against another: the loose folds of the drapery; clothes stacked in neat folds.
3. A line or mark made by folding; a crease: tore the paper carefully along the fold.
4. A coil or bend, as of rope.
5. Chiefly British. A hill or dale in undulating country.
6. Geology. A bend in a stratum of rock.
7. Anatomy. A crease or ridge apparently formed by folding, as of a membrane; a plica.

[Middle English folden, from Old English fealdan, faldan.]

(fōld)

1. A fenced enclosure for domestic animals, especially sheep.
2. A flock of sheep.
3. 1. A group of people or institutions bound together by common beliefs and aims: "He is a living testament to the wisdom of admitting lay psychoanalysts into the official fold" (Jerome Bruner).
   2. A religious congregation: The priest welcomed new parishioners into the fold.

[Middle English, from Old English fald.]

View more Science videos

For more information on fold, visit Britannica.com.

The amount of information that can be viewed on screen without scrolling. This is an important design consideration when laying out a Web page so that the impact can be viewed all at once. The actual area cannot be determined exactly, because a higher screen resolution will show more than a lower one. For example, there will be more data visible in the fold if the monitor is set to 1024x768 than at 800x600. See resolution.

Download Computer Desktop Encyclopedia to your PC, iPhone or Android.

verb

1. To bend together or make a crease in so that one part lies over another: crease, double, pleat, ply¹, ruck². See order/disorder, smooth/rough.
2. To undergo sudden financial failure: break, bust, collapse, crash, fail, go under. Idioms: go belly up, go bust, go on the rocks, go to the wall. See money.
3. To give in from or as if from a gradual loss of strength: bow¹, buckle, capitulate, submit, succumb, surrender, yield. See resist/yield.
4. To give way mentally and emotionally: break (down), collapse, crack, snap. Informal crack up. See explosion/collapse.

noun

A line or an arrangement made by the doubling of one part over another: crease, crimp, crinkle, crumple, pleat, plica, plication, pucker, rimple, ruck², rumple, wrinkle. See smooth/rough.

Idioms beginning with fold:
fold one's tent

See also return to the fold.

Definition: crease
Antonyms: flatness

n

Definition: doubling
Antonyms: unfolding

v

Definition: encase, enclose
Antonyms: expose, free, let out, loose, loosen

v

Definition: fail, close
Antonyms: achieve, succeed

v

Definition: lay in creases
Antonyms: flatten, leave, unbend

• Processes, Phenomena, Events, and Techniques - fold: bend or turn in crustal rock
• Cooking Techniques - fold: (vb) blend ingredients lightly and gently so as to retain air

Dansk (Danish)
1.
v. tr. - folde, pakke ind, omfavne
v. intr. - fejle, folde sig sammen, lukke, ophøre
n. - fold, flok, menighed

idioms:

• fold in    røre i med let hånd
• fold one's arms    lægge armene over kors
• fold up    folde sammen

2.
n. - fold, lukke ind i en fold, lade gå i en fold
v. tr. - holde i fold, lukke ind i fold, lade gå i en fold

Nederlands (Dutch)
vouwen, mislukken (m.n. financieel), opsluiten in schaapskooi, omhullen, opnemen, terugtrekken uit kaartspel, beëindigen, vouw, (aard)plooi, schaapskooi, kudde schapen, groep, golving (terrein)

Français (French)
1.
v. tr. - plier, replier, croiser (les bras), joindre (les mains), (Culin) incorporer (à)
v. intr. - se plier (chaise, table), (Théât) quitter l'affiche (une pièce), (Comm) cesser les affaires, échouer (un projet), cesser (des cours)
n. - pli, (Géol) repli, (Géol) plissement, bercail

idioms:

• fold in    replier (les bords) en dedans, encarter, insérer, (Culin) incorporer
• fold one's arms    croiser les bras
• fold up    (re)plier, replier, fermer, se replier

2.
n. - (Agric) parc à moutons
v. tr. - emparquer (des moutons)

Deutsch (German)
1.
v. - zusammenklappen, (sich) falten, pleite gehen
n. - Falte

idioms:

• fold in    einklappen
• fold one's arms    die Arme verschränken
• fold up    zusammenfalten

2.
n. - Falz
v. - falzen

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - διπλώνω/-ομαι, (συμ)πτύσσω/-ομαι, (περι)τυλίγω/-ομαι, (στο χαρτοπαίγνιο) πάω πάσο, φαλίρω
n. - πτυχή, δίπλα, ζάρα, πιέτα, στάνη, μαντρί, ποίμνιο

idioms:

• fold in    αναγυρίζω, συμπτύσσω/-ομαι ή διπλώνω/-ομαι προς τα μέσα
• fold one's arms    σταυρώνω τα χέρια
• fold up    τυλίγω, (ανα)διπλώνω/-ομαι, (για επιχειρήσεις κ.λπ.) κλείνω οριστικά, βάζω λουκέτο

Italiano (Italian)
piegare, fallire, piega

idioms:

• fold in    abbracciare
• fold one's arms    incrociare le braccia
• fold up    fare fallimento, ripiegare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - dobrar, cruzar (braços), embrulhar
n. - dobra (f), fenda (f)

idioms:

• fold in    misturar (Culin.)
• fold one's arms    cruzar os braços
• fold up    embrulhar

Русский (Russian)
загон для овец, лоно церкви, свой круг, отчий дом, складка, сгиб, кольцо, складывать, завертывать, окутывать, сойти со сцены, закрыть

idioms:

• fold in    осторожно добавлять
• fold one's arms    скрестить руки на груди, ничего не делать
• fold up    прогореть, складывать

Español (Spanish)
1.
v. tr. - plegar, doblar, arrugar, quebrar
v. intr. - doblarse, plegarse, cerrarse
n. - pliegue, doblez

idioms:

• fold in    abrazar, estrechar, incorporar
• fold one's arms    cruzar los brazos, cruzarse de brazos
• fold up    doblar, plegar, cerrar o liquidar (negocio, compañía, etc.), envolver, fracasar

2.
n. - corral, redil
v. tr. - acorralar animales, meter en el redil

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - stänga in i fålla, vika ihop, falsa (tekn.), fälla ihop, svepa in, vika ihop sig, läggas ner (om teaterpjäs), gå omkull
n. - veck, fals (tekn.), vindning, vikdörr, veckning (äv. geol.)

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 折叠, 交叠, 交叉, 对折, 合拢, 可以折叠, 失败, 关闭, 垮台, 可以对折, 褶层, 褶, 褶痕, 团

idioms:

• fold in    加进, 拌进, 调入
• fold one's arms    交叉双臂
• fold up    垮台

2. 羊栏, 羊群, 畜栏, 教会的信徒, 把...关进羊栏

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
n. - 羊欄, 羊群, 畜欄, 教會的信徒
v. tr. - 把...關進羊欄

2.
v. tr. - 折疊, 交疊, 交叉, 對折, 合攏
v. intr. - 可以折疊, 失敗, 關閉, 垮臺, 可以對折
n. - 折疊, 褶層, 褶, 褶痕, 團

idioms:

• fold in    加進, 拌進, 調入
• fold one's arms    交叉雙臂
• fold up    垮臺

한국어 (Korean)
1.
v. tr. - ~접다, (손, 발이) 끼다, ~을 싸다, 포옹하다, ~을 휘젓다
v. intr. - 접은 자국이 나다, (문이) 닫히다
n. - 접힌 곳 , 주름, 습곡

idioms:

• fold in    ~을 싸다, 포장하다
• fold up    반듯하게 접다

2.
n. - 우리 울 , 양떼, 단체
v. tr. - 우리에 가두다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 折り畳む, 折り重ねる, 折り重なる, 折り曲げる, 組む, 畳む, 巻き付ける, 抱きしめる, 折る, 包む, つぶれる, おりに入れる
n. - 折り畳み, ひだ, くぼみ, 起伏, 囲い, 教会の信者

idioms:

• fold in    混ぜ込む
• fold one's arms    腕を組む
• fold up    きちんとたたみ込む, つぶれる

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يلف , يطوي (الاسم) ثنيه , قطيع‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮קיפל, בחש, ערבב, עטף, קימט‬
v. intr. - ‮התקפל, התקמט‬
n. - ‮קמט, גיא, קפל קרקע, פי- (סופית), חלק מקופל‬
n. - ‮דיר, מכלאה, קהל מאמינים, צאן מרעית‬
v. tr. - ‮כלא (כבשה) בדיר‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.