toe

American  

[toh] / toʊ /

noun

• toes
  plural

1. one of the terminal digits of the human foot.

2. an analogous part in certain animals.

3. the forepart of the foot or hoof of a horse or the like.

4. the forepart of anything worn on the foot, as of a shoe or stocking.

5. a part resembling a toe in shape or position.

6. Railroads. the end of a frog in front of the point and in the direction of the switch.

7. Machinery.

   1. a journal or part placed vertically in a bearing, as the lower end of a vertical shaft.

   2. a curved partial cam lifting the flat surface of a follower and letting it drop; wiper.

8. Golf. the outer end of the head of a club.

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verb (used with object)

• toes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• toed,
  past participle,  past
• toeing
  present participle

1. to furnish with a toe or toes.

2. to touch or reach with the toes.

   The pitcher toed the mound, wound up, and threw a fastball.

3. to kick with the toe.

4. Golf. to strike (the ball) with the toe of the club.

5. Carpentry.

   1. to drive (a nail) obliquely.

   2. to toenail.

verb (used without object)

• toes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• toed,
  past participle,  past
• toeing
  present participle

1. to stand, walk, etc., with the toes in a specified position.

   to toe in.

2. to tap with the toe, as in dancing.

idioms

1. on one's toes, energetic; alert; ready.

   The spirited competition kept them on their toes.

2. step / tread on someone's toes, to offend (a person); encroach on the territory or sphere of responsibility of (another).

   The new employee stepped on a lot of toes when he suggested reorganizing the office.

3. toe the line. line.

toe British  

/ təʊ /

noun

1. any one of the digits of the foot

2. the corresponding part in other vertebrates

3. the part of a shoe, sock, etc, covering the toes

4. anything resembling a toe in shape or position

5. the front part of the head of a golf club, hockey stick, etc

6. the lower bearing of a vertical shaft assembly

7. the tip of a cam follower that engages the cam profile

8. informal to begin doing or try something new or unfamiliar

9. alert

10. to offend or insult a person, esp by trespassing on his or her field of responsibility

11. informal to die

12. slang speed

    a player with plenty of toe

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verb

1. (tr) to touch, kick, or mark with the toe

2. (tr) golf to strike (the ball) with the toe of the club

3. (tr) to drive (a nail, spike, etc) obliquely

4. (intr) to walk with the toes pointing in a specified direction

   to toe inwards

5. to conform to expected standards, attitudes, etc

toe More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing toe

• dip one's toes into
• from head to toe
• on one's toes
• step on someone's toes
• turn up one's toes

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• toeless
  adjective
• toelike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• toes
  plural

Participles

• toeing
  present
• toed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• toe
  simple
• toes
  simple
• have toed
  perfect
• has toed
  perfect
• am toeing
  progressive
• are toeing
  progressive
• is toeing
  progressive
• have been toeing
  perfect progressive
• has been toeing
  perfect progressive

Past

• toed
  simple
• had toed
  perfect
• was toeing
  progressive
• were toeing
  progressive
• had been toeing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will toe
  simple
• will have toed
  perfect
• will be toeing
  progressive
• will have been toeing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of toe

before 900; Middle English; Old English tā; cognate with Dutch teen, German Zehe, Old Norse tā

Explanation

Your toes are to your feet what your fingers are to your hands. They're the five digits you have on each foot. Tetrapod, or four-limbed animals, have toes on their feet. The way those toes are used distinguishes these animals from each other. Some, like dogs, are digitigrade, walking on their toes. Humans are plantigrade, meaning we walk with our toes flat against the ground, our weight on the soles of our feet. You can also use toe to mean the front of your shoe, or as a verb meaning "to touch with one's foot."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

toe toes toed toeing

Lego dipped its toe in the interactive waters in 2024 with Super Mario sets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

All this happens after Zack turns up with a missing toe, which Anna suspects Max orchestrated.

From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026

Surrounded by 50 dancers, dressed head to toe in black, the opening set a high bar that was matched by the defiant Aliens and a gripping version of Run BTS.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

But De Ketelaere poked a toe out to knock the ball back to Vanaken, who skipped a shot from about 30 yards past a retreating Ream and into the vacant goal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

So I made a dash for the straight-backed chair beside the small table, but I caught my toe on the spare logs at the fireplace and sent them tumbling.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

The coming days will include a handful of events that should help keep bond traders on their toes.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026

She says daily practice and the occasional steak help her stay on her toes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

While the plot unfolds in a fairly predictable manner, it’s the character of Margarita who keeps us on our toes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026

"We have to keep on our toes over how we're going to keep generating that income."

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

My toes have been frostbitten and they get cold easily.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen

Vitello earned a reputation as a brash, fiery leader with unmatched people skills whose teams toed the line between confident and cocky.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 25, 2025

“Omg!!! Love the new open toed shoes,” former Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon jested.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 13, 2024

For the past 50 years, El’Zabar has toed the line between fashion and music, the present and the future, American jazz and West African compositional structure.

From New York Times ● Mar. 5, 2024

Clucas strode forward, toed the ball beyond the Ipswich defence and Eaves opens up his body before stroking the ball into the bottom-right corner.

From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2024

There was a pile of shoes to the side, so he toed off his sneakers, glad that he had worn clean socks, at least.

From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway

The event, Petito says, does "a really good job of toeing the line... for pushing the advocacy side and not the exploitative side of victims and their families and loved ones".

From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026

During my three weeks covered in glowing sensors, I found myself toeing the line between mindful self-improvement and algorithmic overload.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026

When it came to shoes, though, Murkowski showed little interest in toeing Trump’s line.

From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026

I don’t want to add to the din of numbness and a kind of toeing the capitalist line.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2024

My cheeks grew hot, my mind dizzy, like I was still toeing the ledge.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros