# foal

/ˈfoʊɫ/ (US) · /fˈəʊl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/foal
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. young horse

noun · CEFR B2

a young horse, especially one that is less than a year old.

For teachers: a young horse or related equine, typically under one year of age.

- The mare stood in the field watching her young foal run around.
- The breeder noted that the foal was remarkably sturdy for being only two days old, showing great promise for future racing.

### 2. to give birth

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

when a horse gives birth to a baby horse.

For teachers: to give birth to a foal; used both with and without a direct object.

- The farmer stayed up all night waiting for the horse to foal.
- Veterinarians recommend monitoring the mare closely during the final weeks before she is expected to foal to ensure a safe delivery.

Usage: The verb is often used intransitively in a general sense or transitively when specifying the offspring.

### 3. mining assistant

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Dialect · Technical

a young boy who helped move coal tubs in old mines.

For teachers: a young boy employed in coal mines to assist a headsman by pushing or pulling coal tubs.

- In the nineteenth century, a young foal would work long hours in the dark mines.
- Historical records from the northern collieries describe the harsh conditions faced by the foal as he assisted the more experienced hewers.

Teaching tip: This sense is highly specific to British coal mining history and is not used in modern conversation.

## Examples

- The mare gave birth to a healthy foal last spring.
- The breeder carefully monitored the mare's pregnancy to ensure the foal would be born during the warm months.
- The stable was filled with the soft whinnies of a newborn foal, whose delicate limbs were still weak from the long journey through the mountain pass.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.