fox

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) 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:
2. (countable, uncountable) 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:
3. (countable, uncountable) 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:
4. (uncountable) The fur of a fox.
5. (countable, uncountable) A fox terrier.
6. (countable, uncountable) The gemmeous dragonet, a fish, Callionymus lyra, so called from its yellow color.
7. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) A cunning person.
8. (countable, figuratively, slang, uncountable) A physically attractive person, typically a woman.
9. (countable, figuratively, slang, uncountable) A person with reddish brown hair, typically a woman.
10. (countable, uncountable) A small strand of rope made by twisting several rope-yarns together. Used for seizings, mats, sennits, and gaskets.
11. (countable, uncountable) A wedge driven into the split end of a bolt to tighten it.
12. (countable, uncountable) A hidden radio transmitter, finding which is the goal of radiosport.
13. (countable, uncountable) The fourteenth Lenormand card.
14. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) A sword; so called from the stamp of a fox on the blade, or perhaps of a wolf taken for a fox.
15. (countable, uncountable) Air-to-air weapon launched.
16. (countable, uncountable) Someone who fuses many different influences and concepts in their philosophy or worldview.

Verb

1. (transitive) To trick, fool or outwit (someone) by cunning or ingenuity.
2. (transitive) To confuse or baffle (someone).
3. (intransitive) To act slyly or craftily.
4. (dated, transitive) To cheat or rob.
5. (intransitive) To discolour paper. Fox marks are spots on paper caused by humidity. (See foxing.)
6. (transitive) To make sour, as beer, by causing it to ferment.
7. (intransitive) To turn sour; said of beer, etc., when it sours in fermenting.
8. (transitive) To intoxicate; to stupefy with drink.
9. (transitive) To repair (boots) with new front upper leather, or to piece the upper fronts of.

Opposite of

hedgehog

Synonyms

wildcat

red fox

jackal

confuse

dodger

fob

vixen

fuddle

slyboots

trick

panther

discombobulate

bedevil

throw

play tricks

wild cat

play a trick on

play a joke on

pull a fast one on

flim-flam

baffle

confound

flummox

raccoon

🦝

leopard

🐆

befuddle

outwit

wild dog

divination

dissolve

compound

disrupt

disorganize

commix

discolour

commingle

disarray

jumble

disarrange

clutter

adulterate

immix

derange

immingle

humbug

intermix

delude

chick

knave

hoodwink

Translations

renard

🦊

Fuchs

🦊

volpe

🦊

zorro

🦊

αλεπού

vos

🦊

raposa

🦊

vulpes

🦊

guineu

🦊

tilki

🦊

zorra

ثعلب

🦊

rabosa

goupil

🦊

Pronounced as (IPA)

/fɒks/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: fox

Inherited from Old English: fox

Cognate with Scots: fox

Cognate with Western Frisian: foks

Cognate with Northern Frisian: foos

Cognate with Dutch: vos

Cognate with Low German: vos

Cognate with German: Fuchs

Cognate with Icelandic: fóa

Cognate with Tokharian B: päkā

Cognate with Russian: пух

Cognate with Sanskrit: पुच्छ

Cognate with Torwali: پوش

Cognate with Hindi: पूंछ

In summary

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *púḱsos
Proto-Germanic *fuhsaz
Old English fox
Middle English fox
English fox
From Middle English fox, from Old English fox (“fox”), from Proto-West Germanic *fuhs, from Proto-Germanic *fuhsaz (“fox”), from Proto-Indo-European *púḱsos (“the tailed one”), possibly from *puḱ- (“tail”).
Cognate with Scots fox (“fox”), North Frisian foos, fos (“fox”), Saterland Frisian Foaks (“fox”), West Frisian foks (“fox”), Dutch vos (“fox”), Low German vos (“fox”), German Fuchs (“fox”), Icelandic fóa (“fox”), Tocharian B päkā (“tail, chowrie”), Russian пух (pux, “down, fluff”), Sanskrit पुच्छ (púccha) (whence Torwali پوش (pūš, “fox”), Hindi पूंछ (pūñch, “tail”)).
Philosophical sense from the 1953 essay The Hedgehog and the Fox by Isaiah Berlin. Military aviation sense from the pre-NATO military spelling alphabet where Fox represented F and was short for 'to fire'.