noun
- a small, pale yellowish-brown fox, Fennecus zerda, of northern Africa, having large, pointed ears.
noun
- a very small nocturnal fox, Fennecus zerda, inhabiting deserts of N Africa and Arabia, having pale fur and enormous ears
fox-like animal of Africa, 1790, from Arabic fenek, fanak “a name vaguely applied to various fur-bearing animals” [OED].