fold

1 of 5

verb (1)

ˈfōld 

folded; folding; folds

transitive verb

1

: to lay one part over another part of

fold a letter

2

: to reduce the length or bulk of by doubling over

fold a tent

3

: to clasp together : entwine

fold the hands

4

: to clasp or enwrap closely : embrace

5

a

: to incorporate (a food ingredient) into a mixture by repeated gentle overturnings without stirring or beating

b

: to incorporate closely

6

a

: to concede defeat by withdrawing (one's cards) from play (as in poker)

b

: to bring to an end

7

: to bend (something, such as a layer of rock) into folds

intransitive verb

1

: to become doubled or pleated

2

: to fail completely : collapse

especially : to go out of business

3

: to fold one's cards (as in poker)

fold

2 of 5

noun (1)

1

: a part doubled or laid over another part : pleat

2

: a crease made by folding something (such as a newspaper)

3

: something that is folded together or that enfolds

4

a

: a bend or flexure produced in rock by forces operative after the depositing or consolidation of the rock

b

chiefly British : an undulation in the landscape

5

: a margin apparently formed by the doubling upon itself of a flat anatomical structure (such as a membrane)

Illustration of fold

• fold 4a

fold

3 of 5

noun (2)

1

a

: a group of people or institutions that share a common faith, belief, activity, or enthusiasm

His former colleagues would be glad to welcome him back into the fold.

b

: a flock of sheep

2

: an enclosure for sheep

fold

4 of 5

verb (2)

folded; folding; folds

transitive verb

: to pen up or confine (sheep) in a fold

-fold

5 of 5

suffix

1

: multiplied by (a specified number) : times

—in adjectives

a sixfold increase

and adverbs

repay you tenfold

2

: having (so many) parts

threefold aspect of the problem

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• body
• bunch
• circle
• clan
• clique
• community
• coterie
• coven
• crowd
• galère
• gang
• klatch
• klatsch
• lot
• network
• pack
• ring
• set

Verb (2)

• double

Examples of fold in a Sentence

Suffix

It will repay you tenfold.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The ban, passed by the House of Representatives on March 13 and the Senate on Wednesday, was folded into a bill that would provide billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. —Moises Mendez Ii, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024

Then add remaining whites in three additions, folding them in until incorporated. —Judy Bart Kancigor, Orange County Register, 25 Apr. 2024

There was, for a time, a genuine risk that the club, founded in 1885, several years before the invention of the zipper, might fold altogether. —Rory Smith, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2024

Sitting at a folding table laden with snacks, Dr. Jessica Holmes peered at the clinic’s schedule on her laptop. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2024

Trip jacket selection is an art and a science, best done elegantly, with attention paid to form, function, aesthetics and viability — as a pillow when folded into fourths or eighths on a long-haul flight. —Goth Shakira, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024

For packing convenience, the fabric seat separates from the frame, which folds down to fit into a relatively compact 17-inch by 7-inch carrying sack. —Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2024

Gilbert is sitting at a folding table inside a community center. —Laura Trujillo, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024

More:Once stuck in places like Myanmar and Laos, refugee children kick-start education at MPS' Newcomer Center Celebrating students' own cultures Late in the morning, students folded down their poster boards and took seats to watch dance, choir and drumming performances, as well as a fashion show. —Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2024

Noun

Positions are won out there; some guys attack it and do a great job and some guys just flat out fold. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024

Follow-up testing was recommended if this fold was thicker than 3mm, because too much thickness there might or might not mean chromosomal or structural abnormalities that might or might not be incompatible with life. —Clare Beams, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024

Meanwhile, purchases of its new Chevy Trax, a compact SUV with a starting selling price of just $20,400, jumped almost six fold as part of the company’s push into affordable vehicles. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024

The organizations highlighted above, each with their own unique offerings and communities, stand ready to welcome entrepreneurs into a fold where collaboration and growth are the norms. —John Hall, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

When playtime is over, the entire set folds up and turns into a backpack with adjustable straps. —Maya Polton, Parents, 23 Mar. 2024

This 2024 iteration folds in concerns of technological malfeasance evocative of the Cambridge Analytica scandal alongside a resurgent far right and widespread apprehension about the very electoral process. —Ben Croll, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024

Investment increased ten fold in these technologies between the fourth quarter of 2023 and the same period a year prior. —Justin Worland, TIME, 1 Mar. 2024

The top-secret plan to bring Kate Middleton back into public fold after photo backlash. —Fox News, 21 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English, from Old English fealdan; akin to Old High German faldan to fold, Greek diplasios twofold

Noun (2) and Verb (2)

Middle English, from Old English falod; akin to Old Saxon faled enclosure

Suffix

Middle English, from Old English -feald; akin to Old High German -falt -fold, Latin -plex, -plus, Old English fealdan

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing fold

• epicanthal fold
• epicanthic fold
• the fold

Kids Definition

fold

1 of 5 noun

ˈfōld 

1

: a pen for sheep

2

: a group of people with a common faith or interest

fold

2 of 5 verb

: to shut up in a fold

fold

3 of 5 verb

1

: to lay one part over or against another part

fold a letter

birds folding their wings

2

: to clasp together

fold the hands

3

: embrace entry 1 sense 1

4

: to bend (as a layer of rock) into folds

5

: to add (a food ingredient) to a mixture by gently and repeatedly lifting one part over another

6

: to become doubled or pleated

7

: to fail completely

the business folded

fold

4 of 5 noun

1

: a doubling or folding over

2

: a part doubled or laid over another part

3

: a bend produced in rock

-fold

5 of 5 suffix

ˌfōld,

ˈfōld

1

: multiplied by (a specified number) : times

—in adjectives

a twelvefold increase

and adverbs

repay you tenfold

2

: having (so many) parts

a threefold problem

Etymology

Noun

Old English falod "pen for sheep"

Verb

Old English fealdan "to fold, make double thickness"

Suffix

Old English -feald (suffix) "being increased (so many) times"

Medical Definition

fold

1 of 2 intransitive verb

ˈfōld 

: to become doubled or pleated

fold

2 of 2 noun

: a margin apparently formed by the doubling upon itself of a flat anatomical structure (as a membrane)