tinfoil
Americannoun
noun
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thin foil made of tin or an alloy of tin and lead
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thin foil made of aluminium; used for wrapping foodstuffs
Usage
What is a tinfoil hat? Tinfoil hat is a shorthand for saying someone believes in conspiracy theories, is paranoid, or is crazy more generally.
Etymology
Origin of tinfoil
First recorded in 1425–75, tinfoil is from the late Middle English word tynfoile. See tin, foil 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The founder of the “Golden Tinfoil Hat,” a nonprofit organization aimed at demystifying and combating disinformation and conspiracy thinking, she and her colleagues have made themselves available to anyone interested since 2014.
From Slate • Feb. 2, 2021
Tinfoil was found stuffed in the exhaust pipe of the vehicle with the garage door closed, but detectives discovered something strange.
From Fox News • Jan. 30, 2019
Bob goes about this business amid prose that at times resembles a news release from the Tinfoil Hat Enthusiasts of America.
From Washington Post • Nov. 6, 2016
Tinfoil, which opens in October, is where Fall is again teaming up with Cailan to create an old-school sandwich-oriented deli. In the store area, Fall is curating a mixture of high-end and affordable spirits.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 16, 2016
This point had just been arranged, and the articles put into the wherry, when the party made their appearance, Mr Tinfoil acting as master of the ceremonies.
From Jacob Faithful by Marryat, Frederick
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
