# folding

Pronunciation: say "FOHL-ding" US /ˈfoʊldɪŋ/, UK /ˈfəʊldɪŋ/

## Adjective

1. Built to bend or collapse along hinges or creases so the object can be stored in less space.
   - Simple: Made so that it can bend or close up to take less space.
   - _The camp sells lightweight folding cots that pack into a backpack._
   - _A folding bicycle lets commuters carry it right onto the train._

## Noun

2. The action of bending material over onto itself, or a crease formed by that action.
   - Simple: The act of bending part of something over onto another part.
   - _The folding of the napkins gave the table a formal look._
   - _Origami relies on precise folding to create complex shapes._
4. The deformation of the Earth's crust in which rock layers bend under slow lateral compression.
   - Simple: When rock layers in the ground bend slowly because of pressure pushing in from the sides.
   - _Intense folding produced the dramatic ridges visible across the region._
   - _The textbook explains how folding and faulting reshape continental crust._
5. A source code display technique that hides the contents of methods, classes, and other blocks for easier navigation.
   - Simple: A code editor feature that hides the inside of functions or classes to make a file easier to read.
   - _Most modern editors support folding so developers can collapse whole classes at once._
   - _She used folding to tuck away the helper methods and focus on the main logic._
6. Paper money in the form of banknotes, rather than coins. *(slang)*
   - Simple: Cash in the form of paper notes rather than coins.
   - _The dealer only took folding, no cards and no coins._
   - _He flashed a fat roll of folding at the bar._
7. The keeping of sheep within enclosures on plowed or cultivated land.
   - Simple: The practice of keeping sheep inside fenced areas on farmland.
   - _Traditional folding moved the flock across the field section by section._
   - _Many farms relied on folding to manage their sheep on cropland._

## Verb

3. Present participle of fold. — present participle and gerund of fold
   - Simple: Present participle of fold. Use this form for an action happening right now.
   - _She is folding the map along its original creases._
   - _By folding the dough repeatedly, the baker created flaky layers._

## Origin

Formed from "fold" combined with the suffix "-ing".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/folding (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).