fox

[foks]

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noun, plural fox·es, (especially collectively) fox.

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.

the fur of this animal.

a cunning or crafty person.

(initial capital letter) a member of a tribe of North American Algonquian Indians, formerly in Wisconsin, later merged with the Sauk tribe.

(initial capital letter) the Algonquian language of the Fox, Sauk, and Kickapoo Indians.

Bible. a scavenger, perhaps the jackal. Psalms 63:10; Lam. 5:18.

a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter F: replaced by Foxtrot.

Slang. an attractive young woman or young man.

verb (used with object)

to deceive or trick.

to repair or make (a shoe) with leather or other material applied so as to cover or form part of the upper front.

Obsolete. to intoxicate or befuddle.

verb (used without object)

to act cunningly or craftily.

(of book leaves, prints, etc.) to become foxed.

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

Charles James,1749–1806, British orator and statesman.

George,1624–91, English religious leader and writer: founder of the Society of Friends.

John. John Foxe.

John William, Jr.,1863–1919, U.S. novelist.

Margaret,1833–93, and her sister Katherine (“Kate”), 1839–92, U.S. spiritualist mediums, born in Canada.

Sir William,1812–93, New Zealand statesman, born in England: prime minister 1856, 1861–62, 1869–72, 1873.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for fox

mutt, pooch, pup, insect, rodent, ant, mosquito, flea, tomato, dish, bunny, beat, exceed, total, eclipse, outstrip, deceive, outfox, outmaneuver, baffle

Examples from the Web for fox

Contemporary Examples of fox

Earlier this week, Huckabee ended his Fox News talk show so he could spend time mulling another bid for the Republican nomination.
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!
Olivia Nuzzi
January 8, 2015
Weirich said whenever she saw Fox, she was wearing something too tight.
Inside A Finishing School for Transwomen
Sharon Adarlo
December 27, 2014
“We won the war,” the Fox News personality proclaimed last week.
Why I’m for the War on Christmas
Asawin Suebsaeng
December 23, 2014
Presuming his demographic is largely the same as what it was when he was at Fox, they are not wealthy people.
Glenn Beck Is Now Selling Hipster Clothes. Really.
Ana Marie Cox
December 20, 2014
Further, the two colleges selected may not even be representative of large campuses, Fox said.
Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: Dec. 7
PunditFact.com
December 7, 2014

Historical Examples of fox

The bond was delivered to Fox, who tore it up and flung the pieces into the fire.
De Libris: Prose and Verse
Austin Dobson
Besides, you two might like to watch how I set a trap to catch a fox.
With Trapper Jim in the North Woods
Lawrence J. Leslie
Besides, Trapper Jim declared he owed the fox skin to Ed, anyhow.
With Trapper Jim in the North Woods
Lawrence J. Leslie
Up and down he walked beneath the tree like a fox caught in a hencoop.
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
Howard Pyle
As Miss Fox was exactly informed of all our plans, she was able to copy them in her own arrangements.
Freeland
Theodor Hertzka

British Dictionary definitions for fox

fox

noun plural foxes or fox

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

the fur of any of these animals, usually reddish-brown or grey in colour

a person who is cunning and sly

slang, mainly US a sexually attractive woman

Bible

a jackal
an image of a false prophet

nautical small stuff made from yarns twisted together and then tarred

verb

(tr) to perplex or confoundto fox a person with a problem

to cause (paper, wood, etc) to become discoloured with spots, or (of paper, etc) to become discoloured, as through mildew

(tr) to trick; deceive

(intr) to act deceitfully or craftily

(tr) Australian informal to pursue stealthily; tail

(tr) Australian informal to chase and retrieve (a ball)

(tr) obsolete to befuddle with alcoholic drink

Derived Formsfoxlike, adjective

Word Origin for fox

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

Fox

noun

plural Fox or Foxes a member of a North American Indian people formerly living west of Lake Michigan along the Fox River

the language of this people, belonging to the Algonquian family

Fox

noun

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

George . 1624–91, English religious leader; founder (1647) of the Society of Friends (Quakers)

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

Vicente (Spanish viˈθɛnte). born 1942, Mexican politician; president of Mexico (2000-06)

Sir William . 1812–93, New Zealand statesman, born in England: prime minister of New Zealand (1856; 1861–62; 1869–72; 1873)

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

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.

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."

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).

Idioms and Phrases with fox

fox

see crazy like a fox.