fold2

 
Pronunciation: /fəʊld/

noun

  • a pen or enclosure in a field where livestock, especially sheep, can be kept.
  • (the fold) a group or community, especially when perceived as having shared aims and values: government whips tried to persuade the waverers back into the fold

verb

[with object]
  • shut (livestock) in a fold.

Origin:

Old English fald, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vaalt