dog foxn.
/ˈdɒɡ fɒks/, U.S. /ˈdɔɡ ˌfɑks/, /ˈdɑɡ ˌfɑks/ 1. † b. depreciative. In extended use, applied to a man. Obsolete.
a. A male fox (the red fox, Vulpes vulpes). Cf. dog n.1 2, Compounds 2b.
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the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Canidae > [noun] > genus Vulpes > vulpes vulpes (fox) > male
dog foxc1425
c1425 Edward, Duke of York Master of Game (Vesp. B.xii) (1904) 37 (MED) Whan þe fixen by assaut goth in hure loue and she secheþ the dogge fox, she cryeth wiþ an hos vois as an wood hounde.
1575 G. Gascoigne Noble Arte Venerie lxvi. 183 The female of a Foxe is called a Bitche, and he himselfe a Doggefoxe.
a1659 F. Osborne Misc. in Wks. (1673) 613 A Dog-Fox and an Ordinary Bitch will generate.
1686 R. Blome Gentlemans Recreation iii. x. 88/1 When a Bitch-Fox goeth a Clicketing, seeking for a Dog-Fox, she crieth with a hollow Voice, not much unlike the howling of a Mad-Dog.
1815 W. Scott Lord of Isles iii. xxvi. 115 Till sung his midnight hymn the owl, Answer'd the dog-fox with his howl.
1859 C. Kingsley Misc. (1860) I. 148 A great dog-fox as red as the fir-stems through which he glides.
1941 I. S. Cobb Exit Laughing xxxvii. 463 There might have been a dog fox barking up on the ridge or a young mink gliding along shore.
2004 J. Denby Billie Morgan xi. 73 A grey-muzzled old dog fox, lithe and wick as a dusty russet flame.
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the world > action or operation > ability > skill or skilfulness > cunning > [noun] > cunning person
foxc1000
yepea1250
slies1297
wily-man1393
wilyc1400
sneck-drawer1402
piea1425
wily-piec1450
artificera1500
tod?a1513
Sim Subtlea1529
serpentinea1533
prata1542
wily beguile1550
wily-wat?1550
elfa1556
dog fox1609
saccularian1652
sly-cap1681
sly-boots1699
craftsmaster1717
scunge1824
sleeveen1834
chickaleary1869
sneck-draw1886
rusée1889
slypuss1942
1609 W. Shakespeare Troilus & Cressida v. iv. 10 That same dogge-foxe Vlisses. View more context for this quotation
1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones IV. x. vii. 55 He then immediately run up and laid hold of Jones, crying, ‘We have got the Dog Fox, I warrant the Bitch is not far off.’ View more context for this quotation
1824 R. E. Landor Count Arezzi iv. iv. 132 What! treachery, ha!—this dog-fox scents us grossly!
1843 R. Browning Return of Druses in Bells & Pomegranates No. IV i Ha, wouldst thou, dog-fox?
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the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Canidae > [noun] > genus Vulpes > other types of
karagan1800
Magellanic fox1837
dog fox1882
platinum1948
1882 Ogilvie's Imperial Dict. (new ed.) Dog-fox... 2. A name given to certain small burrowing animals of the dog family (Canidæ), allied to the corsak.
1890 Webster's Internat. Dict. Eng. Lang. Dog-fox... (b) The Arctic or blue fox.
1890 P. Wood Nuttall's Standard Dict. (new ed.) Dog-fox, a small animal of the dog family, in the warm parts of Asia and Africa, with a muzzle like a greyhound's and a tail like a fox's.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, November 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.c1425