Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Fox

Fox

(fŏks)
,
Noun.
;
pl.
Foxes
(#)
.
[AS.
fox
; akin to D.
vos
, G.
fuchs
, OHG.
fuhs
,
foha
, Goth.
faúhō
, Icel.
fōa
fox,
fox
fraud; of unknown origin, cf. Skr.
puccha
tail. Cf.
Vixen
.]
1.
(Zool.)
A carnivorous animal of the genus
Vulpes
, family
Canidæ
, of many species. The European fox (
V. vulgaris
or
V. vulpes
), the American red fox (
V. fulvus
), the American gray fox (
V. Virginianus
), and the arctic, white, or blue, fox (
V. lagopus
) are well-known species.
☞ The black or silver-gray fox is a variety of the American red fox, producing a fur of great value; the cross-gray and woods-gray foxes are other varieties of the same species, of less value. The common foxes of Europe and America are very similar; both are celebrated for their craftiness. They feed on wild birds, poultry, and various small animals.
Subtle as the
fox
for prey.
Shakespeare
2.
(Zool.)
The European dragonet.
3.
(Zool.)
The fox shark or thrasher shark; – called also
sea fox
. See
Thrasher shark
, under
Shark
.
4.
A sly, cunning fellow.
[Colloq.]
We call a crafty and cruel man a
fox
.
Beattie.
5.
(Naut.)
Rope yarn twisted together, and rubbed with tar; – used for seizings or mats.
6.
A sword; – so called from the stamp of a fox on the blade, or perhaps of a wolf taken for a fox.
[Obs.]
Thou diest on point of
fox
.
Shakespeare
7.
pl.
(Ethnol.)
A tribe of Indians which, with the Sacs, formerly occupied the region about Green Bay, Wisconsin; – called also
Outagamies
.
Fox and geese
.
(a)
A boy’s game, in which one boy tries to catch others as they run one goal to another.
(b)
A game with sixteen checkers, or some substitute for them, one of which is called the fox, and the rest the geese; the fox, whose first position is in the middle of the board, endeavors to break through the line of the geese, and the geese to pen up the fox.
–
Fox bat
(Zool.)
,
a large fruit bat of the genus
Pteropus
, of many species, inhabiting Asia, Africa, and the East Indies, esp.
P. medius
of India. Some of the species are more than four feet across the outspread wings. See
Fruit bat
.
–
Fox bolt
,
a bolt having a split end to receive a fox wedge.
–
Fox brush
(Zool.)
,
the tail of a fox.
–
Fox evil
,
a disease in which the hair falls off; alopecy.
–
Fox grape
(Bot.)
,
the name of two species of American grapes. The northern fox grape (
Vitis Labrusca
) is the origin of the varieties called
Isabella
,
Concord
,
Hartford
, etc., and the southern fox grape (
Vitis vulpina
) has produced the
Scuppernong
, and probably the
Catawba
.
–
Fox hunter
.
(a)
One who pursues foxes with hounds.
(b)
A horse ridden in a fox chase.
–
Fox shark
(Zool.)
,
the thrasher shark. See
Thrasher shark
, under
Thrasher
.
–
Fox sleep
,
pretended sleep.
–
Fox sparrow
(Zool.)
,
a large American sparrow (
Passerella iliaca
); – so called on account of its reddish color.
–
Fox squirrel
(Zool.)
,
a large North American squirrel (
Sciurus niger
, or
S. cinereus
). In the Southern States the black variety prevails; farther north the fulvous and gray variety, called the
cat squirrel
, is more common.
–
Fox terrier
(Zool.)
,
one of a peculiar breed of terriers, used in hunting to drive foxes from their holes, and for other purposes. There are rough- and smooth-haired varieties.
–
Fox trot
,
a pace like that which is adopted for a few steps, by a horse, when passing from a walk into a trot, or a trot into a walk.
–
Fox wedge
(Mach. & Carpentry)
,
a wedge for expanding the split end of a bolt, cotter, dowel, tenon, or other piece, to fasten the end in a hole or mortise and prevent withdrawal. The wedge abuts on the bottom of the hole and the piece is driven down upon it. Fastening by fox wedges is called foxtail wedging.
–
Fox wolf
(Zool.)
,
one of several South American wild dogs, belonging to the genus
Canis
. They have long, bushy tails like a fox.

Fox

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Foxed
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Foxing
.]
[See
Fox
,
Noun.
, cf. Icel.
fox
imposture.]
1.
To intoxicate; to stupefy with drink.
I drank . . . so much wine that I was almost
foxed
.
Pepys.
2.
To make sour, as beer, by causing it to ferment.
3.
To repair the feet of, as of boots, with new front upper leather, or to piece the upper fronts of.

Fox

,
Verb.
I.
To turn sour; – said of beer, etc., when it sours in fermenting.

Webster 1828 Edition

Fox

FOX.

n.
1.
An animal of the genus Canis, with a straight tail, yellowish or straw-colored hair, and erect ears. This animal burrows in the earth, is remarkable for his cunning, and preys on lambs, geese, hens or other small animals.
2.
A sly, cunning fellow.
3.
In seaman's language, a seizing made by twisting several rope-yarns together.
4.
Formerly, a cant expression for a sword.

Definition 2024

Fox

Fox

See also: fox

English

Proper noun

Fox ‎(plural Foxes)

  1. A surname​ derived from the name of the animal.
  2. A male given name
  3. (US, broadcasting, uncountable) Fox Broadcasting Company, a large television network from the USA.
    I watched a great show on Fox last night.

Translations

Derived terms

Noun

Fox ‎(plural Foxes)

  1. (soccer) Someone connected with Leicester City Football Club, as a fan, player, coach etc.
    • 2011 January 18, Phil Dawkes, “Man City 4 - 2 Leicester”, in BBC:
      The Foxes played with plenty of initiative in the original tie at the Walkers Stadium and they started this tie in impressively positive fashion, producing the game's first two chances: Andy King's goal-bound half-volley from Steve Howard's header down was tipped over by Joe Hart and Sol Bamba headed the resultant corner wide.
  2. (dated) A member of the Outagamie or Meskwaki, a Native American people.

fox

fox

See also: Fox

English

A red fox (Vulpes vulpes).

Noun

fox ‎(plural foxes)

  1. A red fox, small carnivore (Vulpes vulpes), related to dogs and wolves, with red or silver fur and a bushy tail.
    • 15th century, The Fox, verse 1:
      The fox went out on a chase one night, / he prayed to the Moon to give him light, / for he had many a mile to go that night / before he reached the town-o, town-o, town-o. / He had many a mile to go that night / before he reached the town-o.
    • 1879, Richard Jefferies, The Amateur Poacher, chapter1:
      They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly. Otherwise his pelt would not have been so perfect. And why else was he put away up there out of sight?—and so magnificent a brush as he had too.
  2. Any of numerous species of small wild canids resembling the red fox. In the taxonomy they form the tribe Vulpini within the family Canidae, consisting of nine genera (see the Wikipedia article on the fox).
  3. The fur of a fox.
  4. A fox terrier.
  5. The gemmeous dragonet, a fish, Callionymus lyra, so called from its yellow color.
  6. A cunning person.
  7. (slang) A physically attractive man or woman.
    • 1993, Laura Antoniou, The Marketplace, p.90:
      And Jerry was cute, you know, I liked him, but Frank was a total fox. And he was rougher than Jerry, you know, not so cultured.
    • 2012, Adele Parks, Still Thinking of You
      It wasn't just that Jayne was a fox – although, ****, was she ever a fox. That arse, those tits, those lips. They could have a really good time together.
  8. (nautical) A small strand of rope made by twisting several rope-yarns together. Used for seizings, mats, sennits, and gaskets.
  9. (mechanics) A wedge driven into the split end of a bolt to tighten it.
  10. (obsolete) A sword; so called from the stamp of a fox on the blade, or perhaps of a wolf taken for a fox.

Synonyms

  • (a mammal related to dogs and wolves): tod
  • (attractive man or woman): see also Wikisaurus:beautiful woman

Hyponyms

Hypernyms

Derived terms

Translations

See also

References

Verb

fox ‎(third-person singular simple present foxes, present participle foxing, simple past and past participle foxed)

  1. (transitive) To trick, fool or outwit (someone) by cunning or ingenuity.
  2. (transitive) To confuse or baffle (someone).
    This crossword puzzle has completely foxed me.
  3. (intransitive) To act slyly or craftily.
  4. (intransitive) To discolour paper. Fox marks are spots on paper caused by humidity.
    The pages of the book show distinct foxing.
  5. (transitive) To make sour, as beer, by causing it to ferment.
  6. (intransitive) To turn sour; said of beer, etc., when it sours in fermenting.
  7. (transitive) To intoxicate; to stupefy with drink.
    • Samuel Pepys
      I drank […] so much wine that I was almost foxed.
  8. (transitive) To repair (boots) with new front upper leather, or to piece the upper fronts of.

Derived terms

Translations

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *fuhsaz, from Proto-Indo-European *puk-, *peuk- ‎(“bushy hair”). Cognate with Old Saxon vuhs, Dutch vos, Old High German fuhs (Yiddish פֿוקס ‎(fuks), German Fuchs). The Indo-European root was also the source of Avestan pusa- (‘plait’), Proto-Slavic *puxъ (Russian пух ‎(pux, “fuzz”)), Proto-Baltic *pausti- (Lithuanian paustìs ‎(“fur”)).

Pronunciation

Noun

fox m

  1. fox

Old French

Alternative forms

Adjective

fox

  1. nominative masculine singular of fol
  2. oblique masculine plural of fol

Etymology

From Middle English fox, from Old English fox ‎(“fox”), from Proto-Germanic *fuhsaz ‎(“fox”), from Pre-Germanic *puḱsos ‎(“tailed one”), from Proto-Indo-European *puḱ- ‎(“tail”). Cognate with Scots fox ‎(“fox”), West Frisian foks ‎(“fox”), North Frisian Fering-Öömrang dialect foos, and Sölring and Heligoland dialects fos, Dutch vos ‎(“fox”), Low German vos ‎(“fox”), German Fuchs ‎(“fox”), Icelandic fóa ‎(“fox”), Tocharian B päkā ‎(“tail, chowrie”), Russian пух ‎(pux, “down, fluff”), Torwali [script needed] ‎(pūš, “fox”), Hindi पूंछ ‎(pū̃ch, “tail”).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /fɒks/
  • (US) IPA(key): /fɑks/
  • Rhymes: -ɒks
  • IPA(key): /foks/

Similar Results