Meanings
present singular third person foals · participle present foaling · participle past foaled · past foaled · alternative obsolete foale · alternative obsolete fole
- ambitransitiveTo give birth to (a foal); to bear offspring.
All the time, our overfraught hearts are beating at a rate that would far outstrip the fastest gallop of the fastest horses ever foaled.
1859, Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC1 more example
"Well," said John, "I don't believe there is a better pair of horses in the country, and right grieved I am to part with them, but they are not alike; the black one is the most perfect temper I ever knew; I suppose he has never known a hard word or a blow since he was foaled, and all his pleasure seems to be to do what you wish; […]
[1877], Anna Sewell, “Earlshall”, in Black Beauty: […], London: Jarrold and Sons, […], →OCLC, part II, page 102
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA young horse or similar young equine, especially just after birth or less than a year old.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*pōlH-“animal young”
- Proto-Germanic*fulô“foal”
- Proto-West Germanic*folō
- Old Englishfola
- Middle Englishffoole
- Englishfoal
From Middle English ffoole, foale, fole, fool, foole, fowle, from Old English fola, from Proto-West Germanic *folō, from Proto-Germanic *fulô (“foal”), from pre-Germanic *pl̥Hon-, from Proto-Indo-European *pōlH- (“animal young”). Cognates Cognate with Saterland Frisian Foole (“foal”), West Frisian fôle (“foal”), Dutch veulen (“foal”), German Fohlen, Füllen (“foal”), Low German Fohl (“foal”), Vilamovian fyłn (“foal”), Danish føl (“foal”), Faroese fyl (“foal”), Icelandic foli, fyl (“foal”), Norwegian Bokmål fole, føll (“foal”), Norwegian Nynorsk fole, fyl, føl (“foal”), Swedish fåle, föl (“foal”); compare also Latin pullus (“young animal”), Greek πουλάρι (poulári, “foal”), Albanian pelë (“mare”), Armenian ուլ (ul, “kid, young of a goat”). Related to filly.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek πῶλος
- πῶλος (pôlos)young horse
Arabic مُهْر, فِلْو
- مُهْر (muhr)young horse
- فِلْو (filw)young horse
Bulgarian конче́, жребче́
- конче́ (končé)young horse
- жребче́ (žrebčé)young horse
- ожребвам се (ožrebvam se)give birth (equestrian)
Catalan pollí, poltre
- pollíyoung horse
- poltreyoung horse
- fyoung horse
- pollinargive birth (equestrian)
Chinese Mandarin 駒子 /驹子, 駒 /驹
- 駒子 /驹子 (jūzi)young horse
- 駒 /驹 (jū)young horse
- 䮔 (zuī)young horse
Czech hříbě, ohřebit se
- hříběyoung horse
- ohřebit segive birth (equestrian)
- vrhnout hříběgive birth (equestrian)
Danish føl, fole
- følyoung horse
- folegive birth (equestrian)
Dutch veulen, kachtel
- veulenyoung horse
- kachtelyoung horse
Esperanto ĉevalido
- ĉevalidoyoung horse
Estonian varss
- varssyoung horse
Finnish varsa, varsoa
- varsayoung horse
- varsoagive birth (equestrian)
French poulain, pouliche
- poulainyoung horse
- poulicheyoung horse
- poulinergive birth (equestrian)
German Fohlen, Füllen
- Fohlenyoung horse
- Füllenyoung horse
- Jungpferdyoung horse
- fohlengive birth (equestrian)
Greek πουλάρι
- πουλάρι (poulári)young horse
Hebrew סייח
- סייח (s’yách)young horse
Hungarian csikó
- csikóyoung horse
Icelandic folald, kasta
- folaldyoung horse
- kastagive birth (equestrian)
Indonesian anak kuda
- anak kudayoung horse
Irish searrach
- searrachyoung horse
Italian puledro
- puledroyoung horse
Japanese 子馬
- 子馬 (kouma)young horse
Korean 망아지
- 망아지 (mang'aji)young horse
Latin equulus
- equulusyoung horse
Latvian kumeļš
- kumeļšyoung horse
Lithuanian kumeliukas
- kumeliukasyoung horse
Malay anak kuda
- anak kudayoung horse
Māori punua hōiho, hōiho kuao
- punua hōihoyoung horse
- hōiho kuaoyoung horse
- whānau punua hōihogive birth (equestrian)
Norwegian føll, fole
- føllyoung horse
- foleyoung horse
Persian کره
- کره (korre)young horse
Polish źrebak, źrebię
- źrebakyoung horse
- źrebięyoung horse
- oźrebić sięgive birth (equestrian)
Portuguese potro, parir
- potroyoung horse
- parirgive birth (equestrian)
Romanian mânz, mânză
- mânzyoung horse
- mânzăyoung horse
- fătagive birth (equestrian)
Russian жеребёнок, жереби́ться
- жеребёнок (žerebjónok)young horse
- жереби́ться (žerebítʹsja)give birth (equestrian)
- ожереби́ться (ožerebítʹsja)give birth (equestrian)
Scottish Gaelic searrach
- searrachyoung horse
Slovak žriebä
- žriebäyoung horse
Spanish potranco, potro
- potrancoyoung horse
- potroyoung horse
- potrayoung horse
- potrilloyoung horse
Swahili mwanafarasi
- mwanafarasiyoung horse
Swedish föl, föla
- fölyoung horse
- fölagive birth (equestrian)
Tagalog bisiro
- bisiroyoung horse
Turkish tay, kulun
- tayyoung horse
- kulunyoung horse
- kulunlamakgive birth (equestrian)
- taylamakgive birth (equestrian)
Ukrainian лоша́, жеребе́ць
- лоша́ (lošá)young horse
- жеребе́ць (žerebécʹ)young horse
Vietnamese ngựa con, lừa con
- ngựa conyoung horse
- lừa conyoung horse
Welsh ebol
- ebolyoung horse
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with foal
Anagrams
Cite this entry
foal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/foal
“foal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/foal. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “foal,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/foal.
Source: foal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.