fox

v. i. To turn sour; -- said of beer, etc., when it sours in fermenting. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Foxes [ AS. fox; akin to D. vos, G. fuchs, OHG. fuhs, foha, Goth. faúhō, Icel. fōa fox, fox fraud; of unknown origin, cf. Skr. puccha tail. Cf. Vixen. ] 1. (Zool.) A carnivorous animal of the genus Vulpes, family Canidæ, of many species. The European fox (V. vulgaris or V. vulpes), the American red fox (V. fulvus), the American gray fox (V. Virginianus), and the arctic, white, or blue, fox (V. lagopus) are well-known species. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The black or silver-gray fox is a variety of the American red fox, producing a fur of great value; the cross-gray and woods-gray foxes are other varieties of the same species, of less value. The common foxes of Europe and America are very similar; both are celebrated for their craftiness. They feed on wild birds, poultry, and various small animals. [ 1913 Webster ]

Subtle as the fox for prey. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) The European dragonet. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Zool.) The fox shark or thrasher shark; -- called also sea fox. See Thrasher shark, under Shark. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A sly, cunning fellow. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

We call a crafty and cruel man a fox. Beattie. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Naut.) Rope yarn twisted together, and rubbed with tar; -- used for seizings or mats. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A sword; -- so called from the stamp of a fox on the blade, or perhaps of a wolf taken for a fox. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Thou diest on point of fox. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. pl. (Ethnol.) A tribe of Indians which, with the Sacs, formerly occupied the region about Green Bay, Wisconsin; -- called also Outagamies. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fox and geese. (a) A boy's game, in which one boy tries to catch others as they run one goal to another. (b) A game with sixteen checkers, or some substitute for them, one of which is called the fox, and the rest the geese; the fox, whose first position is in the middle of the board, endeavors to break through the line of the geese, and the geese to pen up the fox. --
Fox bat (Zool.), a large fruit bat of the genus Pteropus, of many species, inhabiting Asia, Africa, and the East Indies, esp. P. medius of India. Some of the species are more than four feet across the outspread wings. See Fruit bat. --
Fox bolt, a bolt having a split end to receive a fox wedge. --
Fox brush (Zool.), the tail of a fox. --
Fox evil, a disease in which the hair falls off; alopecy. --
Fox grape (Bot.), the name of two species of American grapes. The northern fox grape (Vitis Labrusca) is the origin of the varieties called Isabella, Concord, Hartford, etc., and the southern fox grape (Vitis vulpina) has produced the Scuppernong, and probably the Catawba. --
Fox hunter. (a) One who pursues foxes with hounds. (b) A horse ridden in a fox chase. --
Fox shark (Zool.), the thrasher shark. See Thrasher shark, under Thrasher. --
Fox sleep, pretended sleep. --
Fox sparrow (Zool.), a large American sparrow (Passerella iliaca); -- so called on account of its reddish color. --
Fox squirrel (Zool.), a large North American squirrel (Sciurus niger, or S. cinereus). In the Southern States the black variety prevails; farther north the fulvous and gray variety, called the cat squirrel, is more common. --
Fox terrier (Zool.), one of a peculiar breed of terriers, used in hunting to drive foxes from their holes, and for other purposes. There are rough- and smooth-haired varieties. --
Fox trot, a pace like that which is adopted for a few steps, by a horse, when passing from a walk into a trot, or a trot into a walk. --
Fox wedge (Mach. & Carpentry), a wedge for expanding the split end of a bolt, cotter, dowel, tenon, or other piece, to fasten the end in a hole or mortise and prevent withdrawal. The wedge abuts on the bottom of the hole and the piece is driven down upon it. Fastening by fox wedges is called foxtail wedging. --
Fox wolf (Zool.), one of several South American wild dogs, belonging to the genus Canis. They have long, bushy tails like a fox. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A hole in the earth to which a fox resorts to hide himself. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Discolored or stained; -- said of timber, and also of the paper of books or engravings. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Repaired by foxing; as, foxed boots. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Behavior like that of a fox; cunning. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. (Ethnol.) See Fox, n., 7. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) (a) The fox shark; -- called also sea fox. See Thrasher shark, under Shark. (b) The european dragonet. See Dragonet. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. foxes-glōfa, foxes-clōfa, foxes-clife. ] (Bot.) Any plant of the genus Digitalis. The common English foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is a handsome perennial or biennial plant, whose leaves are used as a powerful medicine, both as a sedative and diuretic. See Digitalis. [ 1913 Webster ]

Pan through the pastures oftentimes hath run
To pluck the speckled foxgloves from their stem. W. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]