hoof

American  

[hoof, hoof] / hʊf, huf /

noun

plural

hoofs, hooves, hoof

1. the horny covering protecting the ends of the digits or encasing the foot in certain animals, as the ox and horse.

2. the entire foot of a horse, donkey, etc.

3. Older Use. a hoofed animal, especially one of a herd.

4. Informal. the human foot.

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verb (used with object)

1. Slang. to walk (often followed byit ).

   Let's hoof it to the supermarket.

verb (used without object)

1. Slang. to dance, especially to tap-dance.

   He's been hoofing at the Palladium.

idioms

1. on the hoof, (of livestock) not butchered; live.

   The city youngsters were seeing lambs on the hoof for the first time.

hoof British  

/ huːf /

noun

1. 1. the horny covering of the end of the foot in the horse, deer, and all other ungulate mammals

   2. ( in combination )

      a hoofbeat

2. the foot of an ungulate mammal

3. a hoofed animal

4. facetious a person's foot

5. 1. (of livestock) alive

   2. in an impromptu manner

      he did his thinking on the hoof

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verb

1. (tr) to kick or trample with the hoofs

2. slang

   1. to walk

   2. to dance

Other Word Forms

• hoofiness noun
• hoofless adjective
• hooflike adjective

Etymology

Origin of hoof

First recorded before 1000; Middle English (noun); Old English hōf; cognate with Old Frisian hōf, Dutch hoef, German Huf, Old Norse hōfr; compare Sanskrit śaphas

Explanation

A foot is to a human what a hoof is to a horse, a goat, or a giraffe. Each hoof protects the animal and helps it to walk and run. A hoof is made of keratin, just like your fingernails, but it tends to be thicker and harder since it has to bear the weight of the animal. Hoof can also be a verb that, surprisingly enough, applies to humans. Maybe you have offered someone a ride, only to be told, "No, I think I'll just hoof it," meaning walk or otherwise go on foot. Hoof is sometimes substituted for dance if the person doing it is getting paid.

Example Sentences

Foot-and-mouth causes fever and blisters near the hoof and in the mouth that prevent animals from feeding, as seen in the emaciated survivors.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

House calls for hoof trims or tusk care can cost hundreds of dollars.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

Intense work schedules covering the 2008 banking crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in too many cakes and treats grabbed on the hoof.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026

The tips of each of the three hind toes were enclosed in a wedge-shaped hoof with a flat underside, similar to that of a horse.

From Science Daily • Nov. 30, 2025

They are outlined by rounded hoof prints and have sniff marks in them.

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Related Words

• paw