'foxtail' originates from Old English, specifically the words 'fox' and 'tail', where 'fox' referred to the animal and 'tail' referred to the appendage.

'foxtail' changed from the Old English words 'fox' and 'taegl' and eventually became the modern English word 'foxtail'.

Initially, it meant 'the tail of a fox', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a type of grass or decorative item'.