Foxtails

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of flowering plant characterized by elongated, bushy flower clusters resembling a fox's tail
2. A common name for various grasses that produce feathery flower spikes often used in wildlife habitat
3. Referring to specific species such as Setaria that have dense inflorescences attracting birds and other animals

Etymology: "Foxtails" is the plural of "foxtail," a noun for any of several grasses and other plants whose seed heads are bristly spikes shaped like a fox's brush. The singular comes to English from Middle English "fox-tail," a plain compound of "fox" and "tail," the animal's bushy tail joined to describe the resemblance. Because the name is transparent, it needed no borrowing from another language; English speakers simply looked at the plant and saw the fox.