foliate

[ adjective foh-lee-it, -eyt; verb foh-lee-eyt ]
See synonyms for: foliatefoliatedfoliatesfoliating on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. covered with or having leaves.

  2. like a leaf, as in shape.

  1. Also foliated. Architecture.

    • ornamented with or composed of foil: foliate tracery.

    • ornamented with representations of foliage: a foliate capital.

  2. Petrology, Mineralogy. foliated (def. 2).

verb (used without object),fo·li·at·ed, fo·li·at·ing.
  1. to put forth leaves.

  2. to split into thin leaflike layers or laminae.

verb (used with object),fo·li·at·ed, fo·li·at·ing.
  1. to shape like a leaf or leaves.

  2. to decorate with foils or foliage.

  1. to form into thin sheets.

  2. to spread over with a thin metallic backing.

  3. Printing. to number the folios or leaves, as distinguished from pages, of (a manuscript or book).

Origin of foliate

1
First recorded in 1620–30, foliate is from the Latin word foliātus leafy. See folium, -ate1

Other words from foliate

  • sub·fo·li·ate, adjective

Words Nearby foliate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use foliate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for foliate

foliate

adjective(ˈfəʊlɪɪt, -ˌeɪt)
    • relating to, possessing, or resembling leaves

    • in combination: trifoliate

  1. (of certain metamorphic rocks, esp schists) having the constituent minerals arranged in thin leaflike layers

verb(ˈfəʊlɪˌeɪt)
  1. (tr) to ornament with foliage or with leaf forms such as foils

  2. to hammer or cut (metal) into thin plates or foil

  1. (tr) to coat or back (glass, etc) with metal foil

  2. (tr) to number the leaves of (a book, manuscript, etc): Compare paginate

  3. (intr) (of plants) to grow leaves

Origin of foliate

1
C17: from Latin foliātus leaved, leafy

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012