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Fox

(fŏks)

n. pl. Fox or Fox·es

1. A member of a Native American people formerly inhabiting various parts of southern Michigan, southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois, and eastern Iowa, with present-day populations in central Iowa and with the Sauk in Oklahoma.

2. The Algonquian language of the Fox.

[Translation of French Renards, foxes, perhaps translation of Fox wa·koše·haki, foxes (applied as a name to a clan with the totem of a fox).]

fox

(fŏks)

1. pl. fox·es also fox

a. Any of various carnivorous mammals of the family Canidae and especially of the genus Vulpes, found worldwide and characteristically having upright ears, a pointed snout, and a long bushy tail.

b. The fur of one of these mammals.

2. A crafty, sly, or clever person.

3. Slang A sexually attractive person.

4. Nautical Small cordage made by twisting together two or more strands of tarred yarn.

5. Archaic A sword.

v. foxed, fox·ing, fox·es

v.tr.

1. To trick or fool by ingenuity or cunning; outwit.

2. To baffle or confuse.

3. To make (beer) sour by fermenting.

4. To repair (a shoe) by attaching a new upper.

5. Obsolete To intoxicate.

v.intr.

1. To act slyly or craftily.

2. To turn sour in fermenting. Used of beer.

[Middle English, from Old English.]

Fox, William Originally Wilhelm Fried. 1879-1952.

Hungarian-born American motion-picture executive who founded his own film company (1915) and merged with 20th Century Pictures to form 20th Century Fox (1935). His company led in the development of sound movies.

Fox, Vicente Born 1942.

Mexican businessman and politician who served as president (2000-2006). His election ended 71 years of uninterrupted rule by Mexico's Institutional Revolutionary Party.

Fox, George1624-1691.

English religious leader who founded the Society of Friends, or Quakers (1647-1648).

(click for a larger image)

George Fox

Fox, Charles James 1749-1806.

British politician who supported American independence and the French Revolution.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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