folio

1 of 2

noun

fo·​lio ˈfō-lē-ˌō 

plural folios

1

a

: a leaf especially of a manuscript or book

b

: a leaf number

c

: a page number

d

: an identifying reference in accounting used in posting

2

a

: a sheet of paper folded once

b

: a case or folder for loose papers

3

a

: the size of a piece of paper cut two from a sheet

also : paper or a page of this size

b

: a book printed on folio pages

c

: a book of the largest size

4

: a certain number of words taken as a unit or division in a document for purposes of measurement or reference

folio

2 of 2

verb

folioed; folioing; folios

transitive verb

: to put a serial number on each leaf or page of

Examples of folio in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Just open or close the folio cover and sensors in the tablet will take care of the rest. —Anthony Karcz, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024

Among the chief findings: Three columns of lettering have been added to the opening folio that could be an early attempt to decode the script. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 9 Sep. 2024

No one but the most die-hard Shakespeare scholars is interested in looking at 82 copies of the first folio. —Washington Post, 5 July 2024

Lisa Fagin Davis About 10 years ago, several folios of the mysterious Voynich manuscript were scanned using multispectral imaging. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 9 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Latin, ablative of folium

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1858, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

folio

noun

fo·​lio

ˈfō-lē-ˌō

plural folios

1

: a leaf of a manuscript or book

2

a

: a book made up of sheets of paper that have been folded to produce two leaves

b

: a very large book

Legal Definition

folio

noun

fo·​lio ˈfō-lē-ˌō 

: a certain number of words taken as a unit or division in a document for purposes of measurement or reference

Note: A folio by statutory provision generally consists of 100 words.