Foxtail

/ˈfɒksteɪl/ noun

Definition

A bushy or fluffy tail resembling that of a fox, or a type of wild grass with a spike-shaped seed head that resembles a fox's tail.

Etymology

Compound word from 'fox' and 'tail.' In botany, it refers to various grasses (genus Alopecurus and others) named for the resemblance of their seed heads to a fox's distinctive, full tail.

Kelly Says

Foxtail grass is a pain for dog owners because the seed heads get stuck in fur and burrow into skin, but Indigenous peoples used them as food and medicine—the name stuck because the silky seed head really does look exactly like a fox's brush tail.

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