hoof

[ hoof, hoof ]

noun

, plural hoofs or hooves [h, oo, vz, hoovz] 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.

verb (used with object)

1. Slang. to walk (often followed by it ):

   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.

hoof

/ 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 ) ungular

      a hoofbeat

2. the foot of an ungulate mammal
3. a hoofed animal
4. facetious.
   a person's foot
5. on the hoof
   on the hoof
   1. (of livestock) alive
   2. in an impromptu manner

      he did his thinking on the hoof

verb

1. tr to kick or trample with the hoofs
2. hoof it slang.
   hoof it
   1. to walk
   2. to dance

Derived Forms

• ˈhoofless, adjective
• ˈhoofˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• hoofi·ness noun
• hoofless adjective
• hooflike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hoof¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of hoof¹

Old English hōf; related to Old Norse hōfr, Old High German huof (German Huf ), Sanskrit saphás

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

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

Example Sentences

Digging its hooves into the ground, the beast came to a halt just before it would have gored the man.

From Quanta Magazine

Dead, dry pieces of this fire fungus can be used in the same ways as horse hoof fungus, and they also make a nice long match.

From Popular-Science

The species produces fist-sized polypore fruit bodies, which are shaped like a horse’s hoof.

From Popular-Science

One runner in Houston now has a permanent, hoof-shaped scar in the center of his forehead.

From The Daily Beast

Another case involved a horse working with an infected hoof.

From The Daily Beast

What about the elevators—will I have to hoof it up nine flights to get home?

From The Daily Beast

By horseback and hoof, Twain takes us from the Mormon Theocracy of Utah to the wide-open craziness in the Sierra mining fields.

From The Daily Beast

Instead of worrying about taking a cow hoof to the crotch, perhaps Williams should just “relax and enjoy it.”

From The Daily Beast

For instance, the guy that was kicked by a mule, he had a hoof mark on his head and his mule had a bloody hoof.

From Project Gutenberg

Black Hoof was there with a large force, but he could not tarry without leaving the Scioto towns uncovered.

From Project Gutenberg

Black Hoof with a lightning gesture raised his ax and struck Dale with the flat of it, sending him crashing to the ground.

From Project Gutenberg

By daylight I perceived by the signs that the greater number of the band had gone ahead, probably under the lead of Black Hoof.

From Project Gutenberg

While they were thus mocking me Black Hoof appeared, moving with great dignity, and dispersing my tormentors with a gesture.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• paw