fox

plural foxes · dialectal nonstandard plural foxen · alternative obsolete foxe

1. A small-to-medium-sized canine mammal, related to dogs and wolves, with a flattened skull, upright triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail, of the following groups:
   1. countableuncountableAny member of the genus Vulpes; a true fox.

      A group of foxes is called a skulk.

      2019 June 6, “A gaggle, a confusion and a conspiracy - bizarre animal collective group names”, in BBC

   2. countableuncountableThe red fox, a small carnivore (Vulpes vulpes) with red or silver fur.

      The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

      3 more examples

      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.

      15ᵗʰ century, The Fox, verse 1

      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.

      1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], “The First Gun”, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC, page 1

      It was earliest morning, when even small trees cast long shadows and scarlet foxes trot denward through the dew like flecks of fire.

      1987, Gene Wolfe, chapter XXVIII, in The Urth of the New Sun, 1st US edition, New York: Tor Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 164

   3. countableuncountableOther canines that resemble true foxes, of the genera Cerdocyon, Lycalopex, Otocyon, and Urocyon.
2. uncountableThe fur of a fox.
3. countableuncountableA fox terrier.
4. AustraliacountableuncountableA flying fox.

   Their screeches heralded excited talk from the hurrying troops, for flying fox is a delicacy. The densely-foliaged trees hedged a sombre pool, deep and quiet. As the slain foxes dropped into the water the snouts of river crocodiles popped up and devoured them.

   1937, Ion L. Idriess, Over the Range, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, published 1947, page 154

5. countableuncountableThe gemmeous dragonet, a fish, Callionymus lyra, so called from its yellow color.
6. countablefigurativelyuncountableA cunning person.

   As for thee, false friend, subtle fox, unfaithful servant, this long time am I grown weary of thee slinking up and down my palace devising darkly things I know not: thou, that art nought akin to Witchland, but an outlander, a Goblin exile, a serpent warmed in my bosom to my hurt.

   1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros: A Romance, London: Jonathan Cape […], →OCLC, page 24

7. countablefigurativelyslanguncountableA physically attractive person, typically a woman.First known use 1960s

   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.

   1993, Laura Antoniou, The Marketplace, page 90

   1 more example

   It wasn't just that Jayne was a fox – although, fuck, was she ever a fox. That arse, those tits, those lips. They could have a really good time together.

   2012, Adele Parks, Still Thinking of You

   Synonyms: beaut, beauty, bobby-dazzler, crumpet, dish, vision, dreamboat, eye candy

8. countablefigurativelyslanguncountableA person with reddish brown hair, typically a woman.
9. countableuncountablenauticalA small strand of rope made by twisting several rope-yarns together. Used for seizings, mats, sennits, and gaskets.
10. countableuncountableengineeringA wedge driven into the split end of a bolt to tighten it.
11. countableuncountableA hidden radio transmitter, finding which is the goal of radiosport.

    Locating a hidden transmitter (the fox) has been a popular ham activity for many years.

    2006, H. Ward Silver, The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual

12. countableuncountablecartomancyThe fourteenth Lenormand card.
13. countableobsoleteuncountableA sword; so called from the stamp of a fox on the blade, or perhaps of a wolf taken for a fox.

    Thou diest on point of fox.

    1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]

14. countableuncountableaeronauticsAir-to-air weapon launched.

    Got a lock! Fox, Fox!

    2007 September 25, Bungie, Halo 3, Microsoft Game Studios, Xbox 360, level/area: The Ark

15. countableuncountablehuman sciencesSomeone who fuses many different influences and concepts in their philosophy or worldview.

    Austin was patiently and painstakingly concerned with truth within limitations. He was a hedgehog, not a fox.

    1970, The Month

    1 more example

    Dewey was a hedgehog rather than a fox; he spent his life trying to articulate and restate a single vision, and in the writings of his third decade he already exhibits the tension I have claimed to find in the later writings.

    1992, J. E. Tiles, Jim E. Tiles, John Dewey, Psychology Press, →ISBN, page 220

    Antonyms: hedgehog

present singular third person foxes · participle present foxing · participle past foxed · past foxed · alternative obsolete foxe

1. transitiveTo trick, fool or outwit (someone) by cunning or ingenuity.

   1 more example

   I see a number of gallants every where, whoſe incomes come in yearely by ſet numbers, but runne out daily, ſans number. […] And when I ſee them often foxed, me thinke the Proverbe ſutes thoſe ſutes, what is the fox but his caſe? I ſhould thinke them to be Eutrapelus his enemies, whom he cloathed richly to make them ſpend freely, and grow deboſhed.

   1680, Arthur Warwick, Spare-Minutes, or Resolved Meditations and Remediated Resolutions

2. To sham, to dissemble.

   He was not foxing. No, no: he was sick really.

   1916, James Joyce, chapter I, in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, New York, N.Y.: B[enjamin] W. Huebsch, →OCLC

3. transitiveTo confuse or baffle (someone).

   This crossword puzzle has completely foxed me.

4. intransitiveTo act slyly or craftily.
5. datedtransitiveTo cheat or rob.

   Have you any news of Miriam? As I have had no reply to my delicately worded epistle, I can only presume that you foxed me with the wrong address, and that you are yourself already engaged to be married to her.

   Quoted in 2000, John Lewes, Jock Lewes: Co-founder of the SAS (page 132)

6. intransitiveTo discolour paper. Fox marks are spots on paper caused by humidity. (See foxing.)

   The pages of the book show distinct foxing.

7. transitiveTo make sour, as beer, by causing it to ferment.
8. intransitiveTo turn sour; said of beer, etc., when it sours in fermenting.
9. transitiveTo intoxicate; to stupefy with drink.

   I drank […] so much wine that I was almost foxed.

   1661 October 8 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Samuel Pepys, Mynors Bright, transcriber, “September 29th, 1661”, in Henry B[enjamin] Wheatley, editor, The Diary of Samuel Pepys […], volume II, London: George Bell & Sons […]; Cambridge: Deighton Bell & Co., published 1893, →OCLC

10. transitiveTo repair (boots) with new front upper leather, or to piece the upper fronts of.

1. World War II era; joint US/RAF; World War II era; joint US/RAFA radiotelephony clear-code word for the letter F.

   Synonyms: Foxtrot

plural Foxes · plural Foxs

1. countableuncountableA surname transferred from the common noun derived from the name of the animal.
2. countableuncountableA male given name.
3. USuncountablebroadcastingFox Broadcasting Company, a large television network in the United States.

   I watched a great show on Fox last night.

   1 more example

   In some ways, it’s a pragmatic practice: Fox anchors such as Sean Hannity and, at one point, Tucker Carlson routinely attack Milley – and during the Trump years, there was also a reasonable expectation that the president would be talking to the hosts of those shows.

   2023 September 25, Katie Bo Lillis, Oren Liebermann, Haley Britzky, “Mark Milley leaves a controversial legacy as America’s top general”, in CNN, archived from the original on 10 Feb 2025

4. A placename:
   1. countableuncountableA census-designated place in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska.
   2. countableuncountableA river in Wisconsin and Illinois, United States, a tributary to the Illinois River.
   3. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community and census-designated place in Stone County, Arkansas.
   4. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Grant County, Indiana.
   5. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Estill County, Kentucky.
   6. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Roseau County, Minnesota.
   7. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Carbon County, Montana.
   8. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Pickaway County, Ohio.
   9. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Carter County, Oklahoma.
   10. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Grant County, Oregon.
   11. countableuncountableA number of townships in the United States, listed under Fox Township.
   12. countableuncountableA locality in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia, Australia.
5. abbreviationcountableellipsisuncountableEllipsis of Fox Tribe.
6. abbreviationcountableellipsisuncountableEllipsis of Fox language.

plural Foxes

1. ball gamesSomeone connected with Leicester City Football Club, as a fan, player, coach etc.

   1 more example

   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.

   2011 January 18, Phil Dawkes, “Man City 4 - 2 Leicester”, in BBC

2. abbreviationdatedellipsisEllipsis of Fox Indian (“a member of the Outagamie or Meskwaki, a Native American people”).

1. abbreviationacronymuncountablebiochemistryAcronym of forkhead box protein.