Fold

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈfəʊld/

Definitions

1. To bend parts of an object over each other to reduce its size or create layers ; a line or ridge formed where something has been bent ; an enclosed area where animals are kept ; a natural curve in rock layers caused by pressure
2. To bring parts of a thing together by bending it ; a mark or ridge resulting from bending or doubling ; a pen or enclosure for sheep or other animals ; a bend or wrinkle in the earth's crust formed by compressed rock
3. To crease or double over by bending ; a fold is the visible line created by bending ; an area fenced for animal keeping ; a warped structure in the strata of rocks caused by stress

Etymology: The word "fold" has at least three distinct origins in English, and only one of them has to do with paper or cloth. The verb comes from Old English "fealdan," which goes back to a Germanic root meaning simply to bend or double over, and it is cognate with German "falten" and Dutch "vouwen." The sense of bending parts together is the oldest one, and the noun for a doubled layer or crease grew out of the verb. The noun for an enclosure is a separate word. Old English "fald" and "falod" meant a pen or stall for livestock, from a Germanic base meaning enclosure. It survives in Scots "fauld," in Danish "fold" for a pen for grazing animals, and in Swedish "fålla," meaning corral. Sheep fold is the sense most people still meet in English, and it has nothing to do with bending. A third word, also "fold," comes from Old English "folde," meaning earth, land, or ground. Its relatives include Old Norse "fold," meaning land or meadow. Because these three words share a spelling and have overlapped in meaning over the centuries, English speakers often assume they are one word.

Synonyms: bend, crease, pleat, wrinkle, double

Antonyms: unfold, spread, expand