v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Folded; p. pr. & vb. n. Folding. ] [ OE. folden, falden, AS. fealdan; akin to OHG. faltan, faldan, G. falten, Icel. falda, Dan. folde, Sw. fålla, Goth. falþan, cf. Gr. di-pla`sios twofold, Skr. pu&tsdot_;a a fold. Cf. Fauteuil. ] 1. To lap or lay in plaits or folds; to lay one part over another part of; to double; as, to fold cloth; to fold a letter. [ 1913 Webster ]

As a vesture shalt thou fold them up. Heb. i. 12. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To double or lay together, as the arms or the hands; as, he folds his arms in despair. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To inclose within folds or plaitings; to envelop; to infold; to clasp; to embrace. [ 1913 Webster ]

A face folded in sorrow. J. Webster. [ 1913 Webster ]

We will descend and fold him in our arms. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To cover or wrap up; to conceal. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nor fold my fault in cleanly coined excuses. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To become folded, plaited, or doubled; to close over another of the same kind; to double together; as, the leaves of the door fold. 1 Kings vi. 34. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To confine sheep in a fold. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The star that bids the shepherd fold. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To confine in a fold, as sheep. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Fold, v. In sense 2 AS. -feald, akin to fealdan to fold. ] 1. A doubling, esp. of any flexible substance; a part laid over on another part; a plait; a plication. [ 1913 Webster ]

Mummies . . . shrouded in a number of folds of linen. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

Folds are most common in the rocks of mountainous regions. J. D. Dana. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Times or repetitions; -- used with numerals, chiefly in composition, to denote multiplication or increase in a geometrical ratio, the doubling, tripling, etc., of anything; as, fourfold, four times, increased in a quadruple ratio, multiplied by four. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That which is folded together, or which infolds or envelops; embrace. [ 1913 Webster ]

Shall from your neck unloose his amorous fold. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fold net, a kind of net used in catching birds. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. fald, fold, AS. fald, falod. ] 1. An inclosure for sheep; a sheep pen. [ 1913 Webster ]

Leaps o'er the fence with ease into the fold. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A flock of sheep; figuratively, the Church or a church; as, Christ's fold. [ 1913 Webster ]

There shall be one fold and one shepherd. John x. 16. [ 1913 Webster ]

The very whitest lamb in all my fold. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A boundary; a limit. [ Obs. ] Creech. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fold yard, an inclosure for sheep or cattle. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>n. [ See Fold inclosure, Faldage. ] (O.Eng.Law.) See Faldage. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. Capable of being folded into a more compact form.
Syn. -- folding(prenominal). [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. made compact by bending or doubling over. [ Narrower terms: accordion, plicate ; bifold ; closed ; doubled ; pleated ; rolled, rolled-up(prenominal) ; sunburst, sunray . ] Also See: collapsible, collapsable. Antonym: unfolded [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. One who, or that which, folds; esp., a flat, knifelike instrument used for folding paper. [ 1913 Webster ]