Definition

1. Noun:
   • A specific paper size: A standard size of writing or printing paper, historically used especially in Britain and some Commonwealth countries. The traditional dimensions are approximately 13.5 inches by 17 inches (343 mm × 432 mm). The name is thought to derive from the watermark of a fool's cap (a jester's hat) that was once commonly used on such paper.

Usage

• As a countable noun: The term is used to refer to the paper size itself or to sheets of that size.
  • The office ordered a ream of foolscap for the legal documents.
  • Please print the report on foolscap paper.
• As an uncountable noun: It can refer to the paper generically.
  • The manuscript was written on old foolscap.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• Historical/Administrative Context: The term is strongly associated with traditional office and legal work in British contexts. While largely superseded by the international A4 standard, it is still recognized and sometimes used.
  • The old parliamentary drafts were prepared on foolscap folio.

Variants and Related Words

• Foolscap folio: A specific format where a standard foolscap sheet is folded once to create four pages. This was a common size for bound manuscripts and books.
• Foolscap octavo: A format where the foolscap sheet is folded three times to create eight leaves (16 pages).

Synonyms

• Paper size: While not a direct synonym, it is a specific type within this category. Other named sizes include "legal," "letter," and "A4."

Notes on Meaning

• The primary and almost exclusive meaning of "foolscap" in modern English is the paper size. The literal meaning of "a fool's cap" (the jester's hat) is now archaic and is not the common usage of the standalone word "foolscap." That meaning is only found in historical references to the watermark or in the separate, hyphenated term "fool's-cap."

Noun

1. a size of paper used especially in Britain