fox
noun
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.
fox
1 American
[foks]
/ fɒks /
noun
-
foxes,
plural
-
fox
plural
-
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.
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Fox a member of a tribe of North American Algonquian Indians, formerly in Wisconsin, later merged with the Sauk tribe.
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Fox the Algonquian language of the Fox, Sauk, and Kickapoo Indians.
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Bible. a scavenger, perhaps the jackal.
-
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)
-
foxes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
foxed,
past participle, past
-
foxing
present participle
-
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)
-
foxes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
foxed,
past participle, past
-
foxing
present participle
-
to act cunningly or craftily.
-
(of book leaves, prints, etc.) to become foxed.
Fox
2
American
[foks]
/ fɒks /
noun
-
Charles James, 1749–1806, British orator and statesman.
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George, 1624–91, English religious leader and writer: founder of the Society of Friends.
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John. John Foxe.
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John William, Jr., 1863–1919, U.S. novelist.
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Margaret, 1833–93, and her sister Katherine (“Kate” ), 1839–92, U.S. spiritualist mediums, born in Canada.
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Sir William, 1812–93, New Zealand statesman, born in England: prime minister 1856, 1861–62, 1869–72, 1873.
fox
1
British
/ fɒks /
noun
-
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 tail
-
the fur of any of these animals, usually reddish-brown or grey in colour
-
a person who is cunning and sly
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slang 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 confound
to 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
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(intr) to act deceitfully or craftily
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informal (tr) to pursue stealthily; tail
-
informal (tr) to chase and retrieve (a ball)
-
obsolete (tr) to befuddle with alcoholic drink
Fox
2
British
/ fɒks /
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
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George . 1624–91, English religious leader; founder (1647) of the Society of Friends (Quakers)
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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
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Vicente ( Spanish viˈθɛnte). born 1942, Mexican politician; president of Mexico (2000-06)
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Sir William . 1812–93, New Zealand statesman, born in England: prime minister of New Zealand (1856; 1861–62; 1869–72; 1873)
Fox
3
British
/ fɒks /
noun
-
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
Idioms
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
foxsimple
-
foxessimple
-
have foxedperfect
-
has foxedperfect
-
am foxingprogressive
-
are foxingprogressive
-
is foxingprogressive
-
have been foxingperfect progressive
-
has been foxingperfect progressive
Past
-
foxedsimple
-
had foxedperfect
-
was foxingprogressive
-
were foxingprogressive
-
had been foxingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of fox
First recorded before 900; 1960–65 fox for def. 8; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Old Saxon vohs, Middle Low German vos, Old High German fuhs ( German Fuchs ); cf. vixen
Explanation
A fox is a small, dog-like wild animal with pointed ears and nose, and a thick tail. A red fox has dark front legs that look like little opera gloves. They’re sneaky, so a fox can also be a tricky person. There are different kinds of foxes, but they all have a reputation for sneaking around and stealing stuff. Because they’re known for being wily and smart, you can use the word fox to describe someone who's sly: "That old fox always manages to get other people to buy his lunch." Colloquially, a fox is also an attractive person. They say don’t let a fox guard the henhouse, even if the fox is really good looking.
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.
See Examples For:
Yet the ancient Greek poet Archilochus, who gave us the parable of the fox and the hedgehog, suggests that the hedgehog’s one big trick may defeat all the tricks the fox can try.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Having the event in November will allow people to go all-out, said his performance partner Krizel Guiral, or "Zhel", dressed as Youko Kurama, the red-headed fox demon from the same Japanese manga and anime classic.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
Rob Pownall spends most of his time running Protect the Wild, which advocates for British wildlife, but in recent weeks he ran for the Makerfield seat dressed as a fox.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
“I think even as a child I was trying to integrate those two ideas of a dancing fox and a real human being quietly dying. How does that make sense?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
Now, reader, I have told you that the cry of a fox sounds almost exactly like the wail of a baby.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
James Carville, for example, passed through Fox News recently too.
From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026
As Piker’s profile has risen, so has his presence on Fox News.
From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026
Fox Chairman Emeritus Rupert Murdoch has raised concerns about the damage to broadcast networks such as Fox if more NFL games migrate to streaming, The Wall Street Journal has reported.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Fox also cited digital growth at the company led by its ad supported streaming service Tubi, which saw its year-to-year revenue rise by 35%.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Mother Fox later insisted she was “not a believer in haunted houses or supernatural Appearances.”
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
To help motivate him through the challenge, one of the videos he received , externalwas of his dog Barney frantically barking at foxes in their garden.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Other fringe candidates are also making plans to run, including two foxes: a man who dresses as a fox to raise awareness for protecting wildlife, and actor-turned-activist Laurence Fox.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
With fewer coyotes and bobcats present, foxes appeared to benefit.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 2026
Already though, there’s been positive signs for the island foxes and the western snowy plover, a threatened shorebird that has a year-round population on Santa Rosa.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
Skunks abound, and foxes and coyotes and wolves and weasels—all predators.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
All that remained of those days, apart from the stories, were these exotic bottles, their labels brittle and foxed.
From The New Yorker ● Jan. 15, 2017
That sure foxed the defenders but Lingard seems taken by surprise, too, and he miscontrols it!
From The Guardian ● Nov. 25, 2015
This is not good, but we have found reference to the circumstance that this book is usually — if not always — found in a foxed condition.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 14, 2011
Then Lionel Messi won the ball, foxed three opponents and passed.
From New York Times ● Feb. 13, 2011
I wonder what he had in mind for you to do with it; as you couldn’t read it, I’m foxed as to what he was a thinking.”
From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman
In most cases, the originals were replaced with high-quality copies that mimicked even their foxing — a sign of a sophisticated operation.
From New York Times ● May 1, 2024
If a fox isn’t foxing, is she even a fox?
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2020
While the blues lurk everywhere in Raitt’s work, she—like George—avoids taking long solos, instead foxing her slide work in and around and behind her vocals.
From The New Yorker ● Apr. 9, 2016
Not content with making your feet happy, the new design comes with a fully embroidered All Star patch, on-trend high foxing, and monochrome matte eyelets.
From Forbes ● Jul. 23, 2015
Even so, I did not dare to move, for fear that he might be foxing.
From Argentina from a British Point of View by Various
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.
