foxtail

English
foxtail, attached to fox
a meadow foxtail grass head (Alopecurus pratensis)

Etymology

From Middle English fox-tail, equivalent to fox +‎ tail.

Noun

foxtail (plural foxtails)

  1. The tail of a fox.
  2. A dry spikelet or spikelet seed and flower cluster of some grasses
  3. A plant having a part resembling the tail of a fox or such spikelet.
    1. Any of various grasses having bushy seed spikelets that resemble the tail of a fox
      Look at the foxtails growing along the road.
      1. species of genus Alopecurus, foxtail grasses.
      2. species of Setaria, foxtail millets.
      3. Bromus madritensis, foxtail brome.
      4. Hordeum jubatum, foxtail barley.
    2. Acalypha hispida, chenille plant.
    3. Lycopodium clavatum and Lycopodiella alopecuroides, foxtail clubmosses.
    4. Wodyetia bifurcata, foxtail palm.
  4. (metallurgy) The last cinders obtained in the fining process.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Raymond to this entry?)

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading
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