Folding

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈfəʊldɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The act or process of bending something over upon itself ; a crease or bend made by this action ; relating to objects designed to collapse or be compacted by bending
2. The operation of bending a material so that one part lies over another ; a line or mark made where something has been bent ; describing items engineered to collapse for ease of storage or transport
3. The method of doubling or bending parts together to reduce size or change form ; a visible line created by such bending ; pertaining to devices or structures capable of being bent or collapsed without damage

Etymology: "Folding" is simply "fold" with the suffix "-ing" attached, and the "-ing" ending is what lets it work as both a verb and a noun. The verb "fold" itself is far older, rooted in the idea of bending a flat thing over onto itself, and the noun "folding" names that act, or the result of it, as in the creases in a piece of cloth. Because "-ing" is so productive in English, the word needs no special history of its own. Its meaning comes straight from the base word, which is why "folding" can describe both the action of bending something over itself and the things that are made to fold, such as folding chairs or folding doors.

Synonyms: bending, collapsing, doubling, creasing, wrinkling

Antonyms: unfolding, spreading