foal

From Middle English fole, from Old English fola, 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, Swedish fåle; compare also Ancient Greek πῶλος (pôlos), Latin pullus, Albanian pelë (“mare”), Old Armenian ուլ (ul, “kid, fawn”). Related to filly.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /fəʊl/, /fɔʊl/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /foʊl/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -əʊl

foal (plural foals)

1. A young horse or related animal, 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.

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:

     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, Black Beauty, Chapter 22:

     "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 […]

• colt
• filly
• horseling
• mare
• stallion

• AFOL, Olaf, loaf