footage
Americannoun
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length or extent in feet.
the footage of lumber.
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a portion of raw video recorded for subsequent editing and use in one or more video clips or packages, broadcasts, or movies: raw footage that ended up on the cutting room floor.
newsreel footage;
raw footage that ended up on the cutting room floor.
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Mining.
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payment by the running foot of work done.
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the amount so paid.
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noun
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a length or distance measured in feet
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the extent of film material shot and exposed
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the sequences of filmed material
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payment, by the linear foot of work done
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the amount paid
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of footage
Explanation
Footage is a section of film or video that's been shot or recorded. A TV news station might play dramatic footage of a tornado's aftermath. A film clip or a scene from a movie in production are both footage. Part of a film editor's job is combining all the best footage into a longer piece. Another kind of footage is a way to measure space — when you're selling a house, you'll need to advertise its size, or square footage. The film meaning dates from 1916, from foot as a unit of measurement, in this case of a length of film.
Vocabulary lists containing footage
Lessons 2–3
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Lessons 4–5
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Lessons 1–2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Unverified footage shared on social media showed parts of a wall at the centuries-old Kumamoto Castle collapsing.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
After a June raid at Home Depot in Hollywood, body camera footage captured an agent saying: “There was a guy, I’m pretty sure he’s wet he was just sitting in that minivan.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
The footage also shows Graham’s occasional frustration with Trump, particularly for signing a preliminary deal with Iran in June.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
The ship serenely splashed into the Indian Ocean to wild cheers from SpaceX employees, who were watching live footage from the company's Starbase.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
I search my system and replay the original footage from Fly’s earlier flight.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.