fox

1 of 2

noun

plural foxes also fox
often attributive
1
a
: any of various carnivorous (see carnivorous sense 1) mammals (especially genus Vulpes) of the dog family related to but smaller than wolves with shorter legs, more pointed muzzle, large erect ears, and long bushy tail
b
: the fur of a fox
2
: a clever crafty person
He's a sly old fox.
3
: a good-looking young woman or man
4
capitalized : a member of an American Indian people formerly living in what is now Wisconsin
5
archaic : sword

fox

2 of 2

verb

foxed; foxing; foxes

transitive verb

1
a
: to trick by ingenuity or cunning : outwit
b
: baffle
foxed by his behavior
2
obsolete : intoxicate

Examples of fox in a Sentence

Noun He's a wily old fox. she's a real fox—smart, sassy, and sexy Verb They foxed me into telling the secret. The problem had us foxed!
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, the fox was reported to local law enforcement after it was seen acting strangely and stumbling. Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al, 14 Sep. 2023 Voles are, first and foremost, an important food source for foxes, owls, and other wildlife. Elizabeth Waddington, Treehugger, 5 Sep. 2023 At age 10, on her first fox hunt, her sympathies lie with the fox. Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Sep. 2023 Tests revealed the fox had contracted the viral disease. Zaeem Shaikh, Dallas News, 1 Sep. 2023 Since 1997, the US Department of Agriculture has been distributing millions of oral rabies vaccines every year targeting raccoons, skunks, and foxes. Emily Mullin, WIRED, 29 Aug. 2023 Raccoon dogs—animals more closely related to foxes, susceptible to COVID, and that can spread the virus to humans—were thought to be present at the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan during the early days of the pandemic, World Health Organization officials announced earlier this year. Byerin Prater, Fortune Well, 16 Aug. 2023 Collected below are recent images of some of these foxes playing, scavenging, sleeping, and scampering around London. Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 31 July 2023 Canine species such as wolves, coyotes and foxes are particularly susceptible to infection, as are some other mammals. Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 24 July 2023
Verb
Raccoon: Raccoon is very similar to fox but rarely comes in any other colors besides that of a typical raccoon which is naturally ombré. Liana Satenstein, Marie Claire, 13 Feb. 2014 Raines has a USDA license to exhibit and sell foxes, but does the latter only to fox sanctuaries, or people who have track records owning foxes, preferably with a license similar to hers. Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 3 May 2017 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fox.' 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 and Verb

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German fuhs fox and perhaps to Sanskrit puccha tail

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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

Dictionary Entries Near fox

Cite this Entry

“Fox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fox. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

fox

1 of 2 noun
plural foxes also fox
1
a
: any of various alert flesh-eating mammals related to the wolves but smaller and with shorter legs and a more pointed muzzle
b
: the fur of a fox
2
: a clever tricky person
3
: an attractive young woman or man

fox

2 of 2 verb
: outwit

Geographical Definition

Fox

geographical name

1
river 220 miles (354 kilometers) long in southeastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois flowing south into the Illinois River
2
river 175 miles (282 kilometers) long in eastern Wisconsin flowing northeast and north through Lake Winnebago into Green Bay

Biographical Definition

Fox 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Charles James 1749–1806 English statesman and orator

Fox

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

George 1624–1691 English preacher and founder of Society of Friends

More from Merriam-Webster on fox

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