foxing

[fok-sing]

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noun

material used to cover the upper portion of a shoe.

discoloration, as of book leaves or prints.

Origin of foxing

fox + -ing¹

fox

[foks]

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

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

Related Words for foxing

beat, exceed, total, eclipse, outstrip, deceive, outfox, outmaneuver, baffle, outdo, circumvent, bamboozle, cheat, pretend, dupe, hoodwink, delude, transcend, excel, best

Examples from the Web for foxing

Historical Examples of foxing

It seemed to him that they were 'foxing Old Bagwigs finely.'
The Forsyte Saga, Complete
John Galsworthy
To-night it wasn't that feeling that made it difficult for me to go on "foxing."
The Boys and I
Mrs. Molesworth
Fox; (verb) to pretend, to feign, to sham: 'he's not sick at all, he's only foxing.'
English As We Speak It in Ireland
P. W. Joyce
He, however, insisted that the fellow was only "foxing," and so the matter ended.
A Modern Buccaneer
Rolf Boldrewood
Even so, I did not dare to move, for fear that he might be foxing.
Argentina From A British Point Of View
Various

British Dictionary definitions for foxing

foxing

noun

a piece of leather used to reinforce or trim part of the upper of a shoe

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)

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

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 foxing

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."

fox

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 foxing

fox

see crazy like a fox.