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fox

[foks]
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noun, plural fox·es, (especially collectively) fox.
  1. any of several carnivores of the dog family, especially those of the genus Vulpes, smaller than wolves, having a pointed, slightly upturned muzzle, erect ears, and a long, bushy tail.
  2. the fur of this animal.
  3. a cunning or crafty person.
  4. (initial capital letter) a member of a tribe of North American Algonquian Indians, formerly in Wisconsin, later merged with the Sauk tribe.
  5. (initial capital letter) the Algonquian language of the Fox, Sauk, and Kickapoo Indians.
  6. Bible. a scavenger, perhaps the jackal. Psalms 63:10; Lam. 5:18.
  7. a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter F: replaced by Foxtrot.
  8. Slang. an attractive young woman or young man.
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verb (used with object)
  1. to deceive or trick.
  2. to repair or make (a shoe) with leather or other material applied so as to cover or form part of the upper front.
  3. Obsolete. to intoxicate or befuddle.
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verb (used without object)
  1. to act cunningly or craftily.
  2. (of book leaves, prints, etc.) to become foxed.
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Origin of fox

before 900; 1960–65 for def 9; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Old Saxon vohs, Middle Low German vos, Old High German fuhs (German Fuchs). Cf. vixen
Related formsfox·like, adjective

Fox

[foks]
noun
  1. Charles James,1749–1806, British orator and statesman.
  2. George,1624–91, English religious leader and writer: founder of the Society of Friends.
  3. John. John Foxe.
  4. John William, Jr.,1863–1919, U.S. novelist.
  5. Margaret,1833–93, and her sister Katherine (“Kate”), 1839–92, U.S. spiritualist mediums, born in Canada.
  6. Sir William,1812–93, New Zealand statesman, born in England: prime minister 1856, 1861–62, 1869–72, 1873.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

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British Dictionary definitions for fox

fox

noun plural foxes or fox
  1. any canine mammal of the genus Vulpes and related genera. They are mostly predators that do not hunt in packs and typically have large pointed ears, a pointed muzzle, and a bushy tailRelated adjective: vulpine
  2. the fur of any of these animals, usually reddish-brown or grey in colour
  3. a person who is cunning and sly
  4. slang, mainly US a sexually attractive woman
  5. Bible
    1. a jackal
    2. an image of a false prophet
  6. nautical small stuff made from yarns twisted together and then tarred
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verb
  1. (tr) to perplex or confoundto fox a person with a problem
  2. to cause (paper, wood, etc) to become discoloured with spots, or (of paper, etc) to become discoloured, as through mildew
  3. (tr) to trick; deceive
  4. (intr) to act deceitfully or craftily
  5. (tr) Australian informal to pursue stealthily; tail
  6. (tr) Australian informal to chase and retrieve (a ball)
  7. (tr) obsolete to befuddle with alcoholic drink
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Derived Formsfoxlike, adjective

Word Origin

Old English; related to Old High German fuhs, Old Norse fōa fox, Sanskrit puccha tail; see vixen

Fox1

noun
  1. plural Fox or Foxes a member of a North American Indian people formerly living west of Lake Michigan along the Fox River
  2. the language of this people, belonging to the Algonquian family
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Fox2

noun
  1. Charles James . 1749–1806, British Whig statesman and orator. He opposed North over taxation of the American colonies and Pitt over British intervention against the French Revolution. He advocated parliamentary reform and the abolition of the slave trade
  2. George . 1624–91, English religious leader; founder (1647) of the Society of Friends (Quakers)
  3. Terry, full name Terrance Stanley Fox (1958–81). Canadian athlete: he lost a leg to cancer and subsequently attempted a coast-to-coast run across Canada to raise funds for cancer research
  4. Vicente (Spanish viˈθɛnte). born 1942, Mexican politician; president of Mexico (2000-06)
  5. Sir William . 1812–93, New Zealand statesman, born in England: prime minister of New Zealand (1856; 1861–62; 1869–72; 1873)
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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

Word Origin and History for fox

n.

Old English fox, from West Germanic *fukhs (cf. Old Saxon vohs, Middle Dutch and Dutch vos, Old High German fuhs, German Fuchs, Old Norse foa, Gothic fauho), from Proto-Germanic base *fuh-, corresponding to PIE *puk- "tail" (cf. Sanskrit puccha- "tail").

The bushy tail is also the source of words for "fox" in Welsh (llwynog, from llwyn "bush"); Spanish (raposa, from rabo "tail"); and Lithuanian (uodegis "fox," from uodega "tail"). Metaphoric extension to "clever person" is early 13c. Meaning "sexually attractive woman" is from 1940s; but foxy in this sense is recorded from 1895.

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Fox

Algonquian people, translating French renards, which itself may be a translation of an Iroquoian term meaning "red fox people." Their name for themselves is /meškwahki:-haki/ "red earths." French renard "fox" is from Reginhard, the name of the fox in old Northern European fables (cf. Low German Reinke de Vos), originally "strong in council, wily."

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v.

1560s (but perhaps implied in Old English foxung "foxlike wile, craftiness"), from fox (n.). Foxed in booksellers' catalogues means "stained with fox-colored marks." In other contexts, it typically meant "drunk" (1610s).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Idioms and Phrases with fox

fox

see crazy like a fox.

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