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Definition of foyle
foyle
/fɔɪl/
foyle
Plural:foyles
foyle Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
9
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
foyle Game Scores & Validity
Scrabble US
Scrabble UK
WWF
Wordle Guess
• noun
1
Irish A major river in the northwest of the island of Ireland, which flows from the confluence of the rivers Finn and Mourne to Lough Foyle and into the Atlantic Ocean.
Example
"The historic walled city of Derry is situated on the west bank of the Foyle."
2
An obsolete or archaic spelling of foil, referring to a thin leaf of metal, a fencing sword, or a contrasting element.
Example
"The manuscript described a decorative hilt ornately wrapped in silver foyle."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for foyle• Rhymes for foyle
Word Origin & Etymology
As a geographic entity, it derives from the Irish 'An Feabhal'. As a common noun, it is an obsolete Middle English spelling of 'foil', tracing back via Old French 'foille' to the Latin 'folia' (leaves).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Foyle. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/foyle