Search results
- DictionaryFox/fäks/
noun
- 1. a carnivorous mammal of the dog family with a pointed muzzle and bushy tail, proverbial for its cunning.
- 2. a cunning or sly person: "a wily old fox"
verb
- 1. baffle or deceive (someone): informal "the bad light and dark shadows foxed him"
- 2. repair (a boot or shoe) by renewing the upper leather.
fox. noun [ C/U ] us / fɑks /. Add to word list. Add to word list. a wild mammal belonging to the dog family which has a pointed face and ears, a wide furry tail, and often red-brown fur, or the fur of this animal: [ C ] A fox who had smelled the chickens came out of the woods into the yard.
Fox definition: any of several carnivores of the dog family, especially those of the genus Vulpes, smaller than wolves, having a pointed, slightly upturned muzzle, erect ears, and a long, bushy tail.. See examples of FOX used in a sentence.
Definition of fox noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
- Overview
- The red fox
- Classification
fox, any of various members of the dog family (Canidae) resembling small to medium-sized bushy-tailed dogs with long fur, pointed ears, and a narrow snout. In a restricted sense, the name refers to the 10 or so species classified as “true” foxes (genus Vulpes), especially the red, or common, fox (V. vulpes), which lives in both the Old World and th...
Widely held as a symbol of animal cunning, the red fox is the subject of considerable folklore. The red fox has the largest natural distribution of any land mammal except human beings. In the Old World it ranges over virtually all of Europe, temperate Asia, and northern Africa, and in the New World it inhabits most of North America. Introduced to Australia, it has established itself throughout much of that continent. The red fox has a coat of long guard hairs, soft fine underfur that is typically a rich reddish brown, often a white-tipped tail, and black ears and legs. Colour, however, is variable. In North America black and silver coats are found, with a variable amount of white or white-banded hair occurring in a black coat. A form called the cross, or brant, fox, found in both North America and the Old World, is yellowish brown with a black cross extending between the shoulders and down the back. The Samson fox, a mutant strain of red fox found in northwestern Europe, lacks the long guard hairs, and the underfur is tightly curled.
Britannica Quiz
Ultimate Animals Quiz
Red foxes are generally about 90–105 cm (36–42 inches) long, about 35–40 cm (14–16 inches) of this being the tail. They stand about 40 cm at the shoulders and weigh about 5–7 kg (10–15 pounds). Their preferred habitats are mixed landscapes, but they live in environments ranging from Arctic tundra to arid desert. Red foxes adapt very well to human presence, thriving in areas with farmland and woods, and populations can be found in many large cities and suburbs. Mice, voles, and rabbits, as well as eggs, fruit, and birds, make up most of the diet, but foxes readily eat other available food such as carrion, grain (especially sunflower seeds), garbage, pet food left unattended overnight, and domestic poultry. On the prairies of North America it is estimated that red foxes kill close to a million wild ducks each year. Their impact on domestic birds and some wild game birds has led to their numbers often being regulated near game farms and bird-production areas.
Red foxes mate in winter. After a gestation period of seven or eight weeks, the female (vixen) gives birth to 1–10 or more young (5 is average), called pups (or, less frequently, cubs or kits). Birth takes place in a den, which is commonly a burrow abandoned by another animal. It is often enlarged by the parent foxes. The cubs remain in the den for about five weeks and are cared for by both parents throughout the summer. The young disperse in the fall, once they are fully grown and independent.
The red fox is hunted for sport (see foxhunting) and for its pelt, which is a mainstay of the fur trade. Fox pelts, especially those of silver foxes, are commonly produced on fox farms, where the animals are raised until they are fully grown at approximately 10 months of age. In much of their range, red foxes are the primary carrier of rabies. Several countries, especially the United Kingdom and France, have extensive culling and vaccination programs aimed at reducing the incidence of rabies in red foxes.
Listed below are the true foxes of the genus Vulpes.
•V. bengalensis (Bengal, or Indian, fox)\tSmall (1.5–3 kg) and gray; found in sparsely wooded regions of the Indian subcontinent.
•V. cana (Blanford’s, or hoary, fox)\tSmall (1–2 kg) and catlike, with soft fur and a long bushy tail; found in the mountain steppes and deserts of Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Israel; coat gray above, white below.
•V. chama (Cape fox, South African silver fox, or chama)\tLong-eared fox inhabiting dry areas of Southern Africa, particularly in the Kalahari desert region; weight 4 kg, body length usually less than 60 cm; coat gray.
•V. corsac (corsac, or steppe, fox)\tSmall and social steppe-dwelling fox that inhabits steppes and semideserts of eastern Eurasia; coat yellowish gray or brown to reddish gray; body similar in form to the red fox but with larger legs and ears.
•V. ferrilata (Tibetan fox)\tShort-eared short-tailed fox of the barren slopes and streambeds of Nepal; length to 70 cm, weight up to 4 kg or more; colour variable.
1 day ago · fox in British English. (fɒks ) noun Word forms: plural foxes or fox. 1. any canine mammal of the genus Vulpes and related genera. They are mostly predators that do not hunt in packs and typically have large pointed ears, a pointed muzzle, and a bushy tail. Related adjective: vulpine.
noun [ C ] uk / fɒks / us. Add to word list. B2. a wild animal like a dog with red-brown fur, a pointed nose, and a long, thick tail. (Definition of fox from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press) Translations of fox. in Chinese (Traditional) 動物, 狐，狐狸, 狐狸皮… See more. in Chinese (Simplified) 动物, 狐，狐狸, 狐狸皮… See more.
fox. a small, dog-like animal with red fur. See clickable example sentences and video examples. Dictionary for language learners.
