foal

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English

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A mare and foal.

Etymology

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From Middle English fole, from Old English fola, from Proto-West Germanic *folō, from Proto-Germanic *fulô, from pre-Germanic *pl̥Hon-, from Proto-Indo-European *pōlH- (animal young) (cognate with Saterland Frisian Foole, West Frisian fôle, foalle, Dutch veulen, German Low German Fohl, German Fohlen, Fohle, Swedish fåle; compare also Ancient Greek πῶλος (pôlos), Latin pullus, Albanian pelë (mare), Old Armenian ուլ (ul, kid, fawn). Related to filly.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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foal (plural foals)

  1. A young horse or other equine, especially just after birth or less than a year old.
  2. (mining, historical) A young boy who assisted the headsman by pushing or pulling the tub.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Verb

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foal (third-person singular simple present foals, present participle foaling, simple past and past participle foaled)

  1. (transitive, intransitive) To give birth to (a foal); to bear offspring.
    • 1859, Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, London: Chapman and Hall, [], →OCLC:
      All the time, our overfraught hearts are beating at a rate that would far outstrip the fastest gallop of the fastest horses ever foaled.
    • [1877], Anna Sewell, “Earlshall”, in Black Beauty: [], London: Jarrold and Sons, [], →OCLC, part II, page 102:
      "Well," said John, "I don't believe there is a better pair of horses in the country, and right grieved I am to part with them, but they are not alike; the black one is the most perfect temper I ever knew; I suppose he has never known a hard word or a blow since he was foaled, and all his pleasure seems to be to do what you wish; []

Translations

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See also

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Anagrams

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