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.
Australian police have released bodycam footage showing one of the last attempts to get Bradley Murdoch to reveal the location of Peter Falconio's body, on the 25th anniversary of his murder.
From BBC • Jul. 11, 2026
Helicopter footage shows Pendree racing through the traffic doing wheelies on what the force described as a Sur-Ron "e-bike" as he drives down the middle of the road.
From BBC • Jul. 10, 2026
Other personalities appear in the film through candid footage and audio interviews, but there are no talking-head interviews that are standard for this kind of film.
From Salon • Jul. 10, 2026
Eyewitness footage shows police charging into beach crowds — which appear to be made up of mostly teens.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026
Attempts to reassure people that things were under control were undermined by footage of units 1 and 3 belching smoke.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
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.
