Meaning & use
fox's tail
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablebiology
A common name for several grasses with soft, brush-like seed heads, especially the meadow foxtail.
Grammar: Countable; use 'a fox's tail' or 'fox's tails'.
Patterns
- a fox's tail
- fox's tail grass
The field was full of fox's tail swaying in the breeze.
We planted fox's tail along the edge of the pond.
Fox's tail is often used in wildflower meadows.
nouncountable
The bushy tail of a fox, especially when used as a decorative piece or in heraldry.
Grammar: Countable; often in the possessive form.
Patterns
- a fox's tail
- the fox's tail
The hunter wore a fox's tail as a trophy.
In the painting, the fox's tail curled around its body.
Word forms
| plural | fox's tails |
|---|
Common combinations
- meadow fox's tail
- Meadow fox's tail is common in damp grasslands.
- fox's tail grass
- Fox's tail grass grows well in poor soil.
- a fox's tail brush
- She used a fox's tail brush to dust the shelves.
Synonyms and how they differ
- foxtail
- Foxtail is the more common spelling without the apostrophe and often refers to the grass or its bristly head.
Word family
- foxtail noun
- A grass with a bushy head, or the head itself.
Commonly confused: fox's tail or fox tail?
fox's tail vs fox tail
Without the apostrophe, 'fox tail' usually means the literal tail of a fox, not the plant.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'fox's tail' correctly to refer to the plant?
Choose one answer.
The plant is a grass, so it grows in the meadow. The other options describe the literal tail of a fox.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fox's tail”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.