fox

Everyday

1. A fox is a wild animal of the dog family with a pointed nose, pointed ears, reddish fur and a long bushy tail. tree →
2. To fox someone means to confuse or trick them. tree →

In the lessons

In science and nature, foxes are mammals and omnivores: they eat mice, rabbits, insects, fruit and food from bins; many live in cities in the UK, Ireland and Australia, where they were brought from Europe. They are mostly active at night (nocturnal) and live in dens. In safety, never feed or touch a wild fox. In stories and fables, the fox is clever and sneaky, like in «The Fox and the Grapes» and «The Gingerbread Man». A female is a vixen, a baby is a cub or kit.

Examples

• A fox ran across our garden last night. tree →
• The fox has a long bushy tail. tree →
• Foxes live in holes called dens. tree →
• The fox tricked the gingerbread man. tree →
• A mother fox is called a vixen. tree →
• Keep chickens safe from foxes. tree →
• This puzzle has really foxed me. tree →
• Arctic foxes turn white in winter. tree →
• For dinner the Fox served soup. tree →

Note

Plural «foxes» (add -es after x). Female «vixen», young «cubs» or «kits». «As cunning as a fox» means clever and sly. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog: a sentence that uses every letter of the alphabet. In Australia foxes are an introduced pest.

In Jewish tradition

Here foxes are animals living in ruins and empty places, and a picture of sly people.

Interpretation. Ezekiel compares false prophets to foxes in ruins, who do nothing to repair the broken wall.

Examples

• O Israel, thy prophets have been like foxes in ruins. (Prophets EZK.13.4, JPS 1917) tree →
• For the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it. (Writings LAM.5.18, JPS 1917) tree →
• They shall be hurled to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for foxes. (Writings PSA.63.11, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Plural «foxes» (add -es after x). Female «vixen», young «cubs» or «kits». «As cunning as a fox» means clever and sly. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog: a sentence that uses every letter of the alphabet. In Australia foxes are an introduced pest.