in foal

IPA/ɪn fˈəʊl/
IPA/ɪn fˈoʊl/

in foal — idiom

1. used to describe a female horse that is carrying a growing baby inside its body

1.慣用語B2
釋義

used to describe a female horse that is carrying a growing baby inside its body and will give birth to a foal.

例句

Andrei's mare Bella was in foal, and the family eagerly awaited the foal's arrival.

collocation: was in foal (predicative be-verb pattern)

The manager put the mare in foal to a champion stallion from a nearby farm.

collocation: put [mare] in foal (active breeding sense)

同義詞
  • pregnant (with foal)

    the general term; adding 'with foal' makes the species clear, but 'in foal' is the standard equestrian expression

  • expecting a foal

    a descriptive, more informal alternative often used by horse owners

反義詞
  • empty

    the farming term for a mare that is not pregnant at a given time

  • barren

    a stronger term describing a mare that has difficulty or is unable to become pregnant

文法句型

be + in foal

get + in foal

put + [mare] + in foal

用法筆記

This phrase applies only to horses and other equines (mares, fillies, donkeys, zebras). For other mammals, use 'pregnant' instead. A mare that is not in foal is sometimes described as 'empty' in farming contexts.

常見錯誤

❌The cat is in foal.
✅The cat is pregnant.
💡'in foal' is only correct for horses and other equines; never use it for other animals.
❌She saw an in foal mare in the field.
✅She saw a mare in foal in the field.
💡'in foal' is predicative only and cannot be placed before a noun as an attributive adjective.