foil-blocked
|foil-blocked|
🇺🇸
/ˈfɔɪlˌblɑk/
🇬🇧
/ˈfɔɪlˌblɒk/
(foil-block)
a die for applying foil
Etymology
'foil-blocked' originates from English, specifically as a compound of 'foil' + 'block' with the past participle suffix '-ed'. 'foil' comes from Old French 'foil' (from Latin 'folium') meaning 'leaf' (used for thin metal leaf), and 'block' comes from Old French 'bloc' (from a Germanic source) meaning 'a block' (a hard piece used in pressing/printing).
'foil-blocked' developed from the noun phrase 'foil blocking' (a printing/finishing technique referring to applying foil with a heated die or block) into the verb 'foil-block' (to perform that process) and then into the adjective/past participle 'foil-blocked' to describe items treated in that way.
Initially it referred specifically to the process of applying foil ('foil blocking'); over time it also came to be used adjectivally to describe the finished surface ('decorated with foil').
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
past tense or past participle form of 'foil-block' (to apply metallic foil to a surface using a heated die or press).
They foil-blocked the invitation envelopes with gold lettering.
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Adjective 1
decorated or finished with metallic foil applied by the foil-blocking process (i.e., having a metallic foil impression on the surface).
She admired the foil-blocked business cards for their shiny accents.
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Last updated: 2025/12/22 06:52