foal

1 of 2

noun

: a young animal of the horse family
especially : one under one year

foal

2 of 2

verb

foaled; foaling; foals

intransitive verb

: to give birth to a foal

transitive verb

: to give birth to (a foal)
Phrases
in foal

Examples of foal in a Sentence

Verb The mare will foal in June.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Field sizes are smaller as foal crops continue to decline. John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2024 In June, foals Bilüü and Ereen were born just a day apart, the zoo said, and both were named for cities in Mongolia. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 9 July 2024
Verb
Secretariat: Fifty years ago, Secretariat, foaled in 1970, became the ninth Triple Crown winner, setting new track records in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes while setting the world record of 2:24 on a 1 1/2 dirt track in the Belmont Stakes. The Courier-Journal, 24 Apr. 2023 The purses are built from nominations of horses and stallions from the day a horse is foaled. John Cherwaspecial Contributor, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2023 See all Example Sentences for foal 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'foal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English fole, from Old English fola; akin to Latin pullus young of an animal, Greek pais child — more at few

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of foal was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near foal

Cite this Entry

“Foal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foal. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

foal

1 of 2 noun
: a young animal of the horse family
especially : one under one year

foal

2 of 2 verb
: to give birth to a foal

Medical Definition

foal

1 of 2 noun
: the young of an animal of the horse family
especially : one less than one year old

foal

2 of 2 intransitive verb
: to give birth to a foal
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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