FOIL

v. & n. --v.tr. 1 frustrate, baffle, defeat. 2 Hunting a run over or cross (ground or a scent) to confuse the hounds. b (absol.) (of an animal) spoil the scent in this way. --n. 1 Hunting the track of a hunted animal. 2 archaic a repulse or defeat. [ME, = trample down, perh. f. OF fouler to full cloth, trample, ult. f. L fullo FULLER(1)]