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Synonyms

foal

American  
[fohl] / foʊl /

noun

  1. a young horse, mule, or related animal, especially one that is not yet one year of age.

verb (used with or without object)

  1. to give birth to (a colt or filly).

foal British  
/ fəʊl /

noun

  1. the young of a horse or related animal

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to give birth to (a foal)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • unfoaled adjective

Etymology

Origin of foal

before 950; (noun) Middle English fole, Old English fola; cognate with Old High German folo ( German Fohlen ); akin to Latin pullus young animal, Greek pôlos foal; (v.) Middle English, derivative of the noun

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A brown foal with a white stripe on its muzzle teetered on toothpick legs.

From Los Angeles Times

“We were unable to find the little foals. And several of the other ones, we tried unsuccessfully to catch and treat. It’s difficult because they live in the wild,” Cheatham said.

From Los Angeles Times

"Usually, if an animal loses a calf or a foal or a lamb, they will stay with the dead animal," he said.

From BBC

Dwindling foal crops, shrinking purses and a stagnant and aging fan base has pointed to California racing being on the edge of extinction.

From Los Angeles Times

A donkey foal at a popular farm park has ended up with two mums after a "one in a million" birth.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.