שועל

שועל

Hebrew

Etymology

Root
שׁ־ע־ל‎ (š-ʿ-l)

From Proto-Semitic *ṯaʕlab- (“fox”). Cognate with Akkadian 𒈜𒀀 (šēlebum) and Arabic ثَعْلَب‎ (ṯaʿlab). Compare also Yemeni Arabic ثَعَلْ‎.

Noun

שׁוּעָל • (shuál) m (plural indefinite שׁוּעָלִים‎, singular construct שׁוּעַל־, plural construct שׁוּעֲלֵי־‎, feminine counterpart שׁוּעָלָה‎)

1. fox (Vulpes or any of the species in the tribe Vulpini)
   • Judges 15:4, with translation of Robert Alter:

     ‏וַיֵּלֶךְ שִׁמְשׁוֹן וַיִּלְכֹּד שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת שׁוּעָלִים וַיִּקַּח לַפִּדִים וַיֶּפֶן זָנָב אֶל זָנָב וַיָּשֶׂם לַפִּיד אֶחָד בֵּין שְׁנֵי הַזְּנָבוֹת בַּתָּוֶךְ‎

     And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes and took torches and turned tail to tail and put one torch between each two tails.

Derived terms

• שבולת שועל / שִׁבֹּלֶת שׁוּעָל‎ (shibólet shu'ál)