1. (botany) the process of forming leaves
   "The foliation of deciduous trees marks the beginning of spring";
   - leafing
    
2. (geology) the arrangement of leaflike layers in a rock
   "The foliation in the metamorphic rock was clearly visible to the geologist"
    
3. (architecture) leaf-like architectural ornament
   "The building's facade was adorned with intricate foliation designs";
   - foliage
    
4. The production of foil by cutting or beating metal into thin leaves
   "The artisan's skill in foliation resulted in delicate gold leaf for the illuminated manuscript"
    
5. The work of coating glass with metal foil
   "Foliation was used to create the mirror's reflective surface"
    
6. (mathematics) a set of lower-dimension manifolds that a given manifold can be decomposed into
   "The mathematician studied the foliation of the three-sphere"

Derived forms: foliations

Type of: application, architectural ornament, coating, covering, development, growing, growth, maturation, ontogenesis, ontogeny, production, stratification

Encyclopedia: Foliation