fold

I UK [fəʊld] / US [foʊld] verb
Word forms "fold":
present tense I/you/we/they fold he/she/it folds present participle folding past tense folded past participle folded
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1)

a) [transitive] to bend a piece of paper or cloth and press one part of it over another part

Carrie folded the letter and slid it into a drawer.

fold something in half/two:

Fold the paper in half diagonally.

fold something neatly/carefully:

She folded the towel neatly and hung it over the rail.

fold something over/back/down:

Fold the left flap over and hold it down.

b) to cover something by bending a piece of paper or cloth around it

fold something in something:

She picked up the insect and gently folded it in a handkerchief.

fold something around something:

He folded the newspaper carefully around the plants.

2) [intransitive/transitive] if something folds, or if you can fold it, you can bend part of it so that it becomes smaller and easier to carry or store

Jim folded the penknife and slipped it into his pocket.

fold (something) up/down/away:

The bed folds away conveniently for storage.

fold (something) flat:

The table folds flat for easy storage.

3) fold or fold up

[intransitive] if a business folds, it closes because it is not able to make enough money

4) [intransitive] if your legs fold, they suddenly become weak and unable to support your weight, so that you fall to the ground

Sue felt her legs folding under her, then she fainted.

•

fold your arms/hands — to cross one arm or hand over the other

The border guard folded his arms across his chest and glared.

- fold someone in your arms

Phrasal verbs:

- fold in

- fold up

II UK [fəʊld] / US [foʊld] noun
Word forms "fold":
singular fold plural folds
*

1) [countable] a bend or line on a piece of paper or cloth that you make when you press one part of it over another

Make a second fold 5 centimetres above the first.

Open the paper flat and cut along the fold.

2)

a) [countable, usually plural] a curved piece of cloth that hangs in a loose way

the soft folds of the curtain

Her elegant legs were hidden in the folds of her skirt.

b) [countable] an area of skin that hangs in a loose way on someone's body

folds of fat flesh

3) [countable] a small area enclosed by a fence or wall in a field, used for keeping sheep

4) [countable] British literary an area of low land between hills

The village is hidden in a deep fold of the hills.

5) the fold a group of people who share the same ideas or aims or who live or work together

in the fold:

He is now firmly back in the conservative fold.

return/come back to the fold:

Emily longed to return to the family fold.

bring someone back to the fold:

We are hoping that these policies will bring reluctant voters back to the fold.

leave/stray from the fold:

Many Western Marxists left the Communist fold in the 1970s.