to fox
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To steal or cheat; keep an eye on somebody without seeming so to do. A dog, a fox, and a weasel sleep, as they say, "with one eye open.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to fox” mean?
To steal or cheat; keep an eye on somebody without seeming so to do. A dog, a fox, and a weasel sleep, as they say, "with one eye open.
Is “to fox” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.