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Webster 1913 Edition


Unfold

Un-fold′

,
Verb.
T.
[AS.
unfealdan
. See 1st
Un-
, and
Fold
,
Verb.
T.
]
1.
To open the folds of; to expand; to spread out;
as, to
unfold
a tablecloth
.
Unfold
thy forehead gathered into frowns.
Herbert.
2.
To open, as anything covered or close; to lay open to view or contemplation; to bring out in all the details, or by successive development; to display; to disclose; to reveal; to elucidate; to explain;
as, to
unfold
one’s designs; to
unfold
the principles of a science
.
Unfold
the passion of my love.
Shakespeare
3.
To release from a fold or pen;
as, to
unfold
sheep
.

Un-fold′

,
Verb.
I.
To open; to expand; to become disclosed or developed.
The wind blows cold
While the morning doth
unfold
.
J. Fletcher.

Webster 1828 Edition


Unfold

UNFOLD

, v.t
1.
To open folds; to expand; to spread out.
2.
To open any thing covered or close; to lay open to view or contemplation; to disclose; to reveal; as, to unfold one's designs; to unfold the principles of a science.
3.
To declare; to tell; to disclose.
Unfold the passion of my love.
4.
To display; as, to unfold the works of creation.
5.
To release from a fold or pen; as, to unfold sheep.

Definition 2024


unfold

unfold

English

Verb

unfold (third-person singular simple present unfolds, present participle unfolding, simple past and past participle unfolded)

  1. To undo a folding.
    • Herbert
      Unfold thy forehead gathered into frowns.
    • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess:
      Meanwhile Nanny Broome was recovering from her initial panic and seemed anxious to make up for any kudos she might have lost, by exerting her personality to the utmost. She took the policeman's helmet and placed it on a chair, and unfolded his tunic to shake it and fold it up again for him.
    to unfold a map; to unfold a tablecloth; she unpacks the new dress and unfolds it carefully
  2. (intransitive) To turn out; to happen; to develop.
    • 2012 November 8, Scott Tobias, Memento’s puzzle structure hides big twists and bigger profundities”, in The AV Club:
      Memento unfolds over 22 scenes—or, more accurately, 22 strands of time, the main strand (in color) moving backward in increments, and another strand (in black and white) going forward, though the two overlap profoundly.
  3. (transitive) To reveal.
  4. To open (anything covered or closed); to lay open to view or contemplation; to bring out in all the details, or by successive development.
    to unfold one's designs;  to unfold the principles of a science
  5. To release from a fold or pen.
    to unfold sheep
Antonyms

Translations

Noun

unfold (plural unfolds)

  1. (computing, programming) In functional programming, a kind of higher-order function that is the opposite of a fold.