foil stone

1 definition found

foil stone - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Foil \Foil\, n. [OE. foil leaf, OF. foil, fuil, fueil, foille,
     fueille, F. feuille, fr. L. folium, pl. folia; akin to Gr. ?,
     and perh. to E. blade. Cf. Foliage, Folio.]
     1. A leaf or very thin sheet of metal; as, brass foil; tin
        foil; gold foil.
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     2. (Jewelry) A thin leaf of sheet copper silvered and
        burnished, and afterwards coated with transparent colors
        mixed with isinglass; -- employed by jewelers to give
        color or brilliancy to pastes and inferior stones. --Ure.
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     3. Anything that serves by contrast of color or quality to
        adorn or set off another thing to advantage.
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              As she a black silk cap on him began
              To set, for foil of his milk-white to serve. --Sir
                                                    P. Sidney.
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              Hector has a foil to set him off.     --Broome.
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     4. A thin coat of tin, with quicksilver, laid on the back of
        a looking-glass, to cause reflection.
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     5. (Arch.) The space between the cusps in Gothic
        architecture; a rounded or leaflike ornament, in windows,
        niches, etc. A group of foils is called trefoil,
        quatrefoil, quinquefoil, etc., according to the number of
        arcs of which it is composed.
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     Foil stone, an imitation of a jewel or precious stone.
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