Note: 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.
Subtle as the fox for prey. --Shak.
2. (Zo["o]l.) The European dragonet.
3. (Zo["o]l.) The fox shark or thrasher shark; -- called also
{sea fox}. See {Thrasher shark}, under {Shark}.
4. A sly, cunning fellow. [Colloq.]
We call a crafty and cruel man a fox. --Beattie.
5. (Naut.) Rope yarn twisted together, and rubbed with tar;
-- used for seizings or mats.
6. A sword; -- so called from the stamp of a fox on the
blade, or perhaps of a wolf taken for a fox. [Obs.]
Thou diest on point of fox. --Shak.
7. pl. (Enthnol.) A tribe of Indians which, with the Sacs,
formerly occupied the region about Green Bay, Wisconsin;
-- called also {Outagamies}.
{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} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), the thrasher shark. See {Thrasher
shark}, under {Thrasher}.
{Fox sparrow} (Zo["o]l.), a large American sparrow
({Passerella iliaca}); -- so called on account of its
reddish color.
{Fox squirrel} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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.