fold

¹ American  

[fohld] / foʊld /

verb (used with object)

1. to bend (cloth, paper, etc.) over upon itself.

2. to bring into a compact form by bending and laying parts together (often followed byup ).

   to fold up a map; to fold one's legs under oneself.

3. to bring (the arms, hands, etc.) together in an intertwined or crossed manner; cross; entwine.

   He folded his arms on his chest.

4. to bend or wind (usually followed by about, round, etc.).

   to fold one's arms about a person's neck.

5. to bring (the wings) close to the body, as a bird on alighting.

6. to enclose; wrap; envelop.

   to fold something in paper.

7. to embrace or clasp; enfold.

   to fold someone in one's arms.

8. Cards. to place (one's cards) facedown so as to withdraw from the play.

9. Informal. to bring to an end; close up.

   The owner decided to fold the business and retire.

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verb (used without object)

1. to be folded or be capable of folding.

   The doors fold back.

2. Cards. to place one's cards facedown so as to withdraw from the play.

3. Informal. to fail in business; be forced to close.

   The newspaper folded after 76 years.

4. Informal. to yield or give in.

   Dad folded and said we could go after all.

noun

1. a part that is folded; pleat; layer.

   folds of cloth.

2. a crease made by folding.

   He cut the paper along the fold.

3. a hollow made by folding.

   to carry something in the fold of one's dress.

4. a hollow place in undulating ground.

   a fold of the mountains.

5. Geology. a portion of strata that is folded or bent, as an anticline or syncline, or that connects two horizontal or parallel portions of strata of different levels (as a monocline).

6. Journalism.

   1. the line formed along the horizontal center of a standard-sized newspaper when it is folded after printing.

   2. a rough-and-ready dividing line, especially on the front page and other principal pages, between stories of primary and lesser importance.

7. a coil of a serpent, string, etc.

8. the act of folding or doubling over.

9. Anatomy. a margin or ridge formed by the folding of a membrane or other flat body part; plica.

verb phrase

1. fold up

   1. to break down; collapse.

      He folded up when the prosecutor discredited his story.

   2. to fail, especially to go out of business.

2. fold in to mix in or add (an ingredient) by gently turning one part over another.

   Fold in the egg whites.

fold ² American  

[fohld] / foʊld /

noun

1. an enclosure for sheep or, occasionally, other domestic animals.

2. the sheep kept within it.

3. a flock of sheep.

4. a church.

5. the members of a church; congregation.

   He preached to the fold.

6. a group sharing common beliefs, values, etc..

   He rejoined the fold after his youthful escapade.

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verb (used with object)

1. to confine (sheep or other domestic animals) in a fold.

-fold ³ American  

1. a native English suffix meaning “of so many parts,” or denoting multiplication by the number indicated by the stem or word to which the suffix is attached.

   twofold; manifold.

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fold ¹ British  

/ fəʊld /

verb

1. to bend or be bent double so that one part covers another

   to fold a sheet of paper

2. (tr) to bring together and intertwine (the arms, legs, etc)

   she folded her hands

3. (tr) (of birds, insects, etc) to close (the wings) together from an extended position

4. (tr; often foll by up or in) to enclose in or as if in a surrounding material

5. to clasp (a person) in the arms

6. to wind (around); entwine

7. poetic (tr) to cover completely

   night folded the earth

8. Also: fold in.  (tr) to mix (a whisked mixture) with other ingredients by gently turning one part over the other with a spoon

9. to produce a bend (in stratified rock) or (of stratified rock) to display a bend

10. informal to collapse; fail

    the business folded

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noun

1. a piece or section that has been folded

   a fold of cloth

2. a mark, crease, or hollow made by folding

3. a hollow in undulating terrain

4. a bend in stratified rocks that results from movements within the earth's crust and produces such structures as anticlines and synclines

5. anatomy another word for plica

6. a coil, as in a rope, etc

7. an act of folding

fold ² British  

/ fəʊld /

noun

1. 1. a small enclosure or pen for sheep or other livestock, where they can be gathered

   2. the sheep or other livestock gathered in such an enclosure

   3. a flock of sheep

   4. a herd of Highland cattle

2. a church or the members of it

3. any group or community sharing a way of life or holding the same values

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verb

1. (tr) to gather or confine (sheep or other livestock) in a fold

-fold ³ British  

suffix

1. having so many parts, being so many times as much or as many, or multiplied by so much or so many

   threefold

   three-hundredfold

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fold Scientific  

/ fōld /

1. A bend in a layer of rock or in another planar feature such as foliation or the cleavage of a mineral. Folds occur as the result of deformation, usually associated with plate-tectonic forces.

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fold Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing fold

• return to the fold

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Usage

What does -fold mean? The combining form -fold is used like a suffix meaning “of so many parts.” It can also denote multiplication by the number indicated by the first part of the word. It is occasionally used in technical terms. The form -fold comes from Middle English. The Latin equivalent is -plex, meaning “folded,” which is the source of terms such as duplex and multiplex. Find out more at our entries for both words.

Other Word Forms

• foldable adjective

Etymology

Origin of fold¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English verb folden, falden, faulden, Old English fealdan, faldan; cognate with Gothic falthan, Old Norse falda, German falten; akin to Latin plicāre “to fold,” plectere to plait, twine,” Greek plékein “to braid, knit”; plait; -fold

Origin of fold²

First recorded before 900; Middle English fold, fald, feld “sheepfold,” Old English fald, falod, falud “sheepfold, ox stall, stable”; akin to Old Saxon faled “pen, enclosure,” Middle Low German vaalt “pen, enclosure, manure heap,” Middle Dutch vaelt, vaelde

Origin of -fold³

Middle English; Old English -fald, -feald, cognate with Old Frisian, Old Saxon -fald, German -falt, Old Norse -faldr, Gothic -falths, all representing the Germanic base of fold ¹; akin to Greek -ploos, -plous ( haplo-, diplo- ), Latin -plus ( simple, double, etc.), -plex -plex

Explanation

To fold is to crease or bend something over so it covers part of itself. Before you put your clean sheets and towels away in the closet, you should probably fold them. Some people drop their clothes on the floor at the end of the day, while others neatly fold theirs. You can call the crease in a folded piece of paper or pillow case a fold too. There are several ways to fold, including to gently mix ingredients, incorporating them without stirring; and to drop out of a poker hand, laying your cards down on the table.

Example Sentences

With Plum and likely Atkins in the fold, the Sparks could now use an upgraded ball-handler, unless they go with Plum at the point guard spot and focus on bringing in another forward.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

He argues that the city could run them—simply fold the MTA and let New York State repudiate the debt.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

The 23-year-old has returned to the England fold for the first time since last summer having missed the September, October and November camps because of a groin injury.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

The ‘Relax Row’ is essentially a row of three economy seats that fold out to lie flat on long-haul flights.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

I fold my arms and push my chin out.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Related Words

• bend
• crimp
• curl
• knit
• tuck