hoof
[ hoo f, hoof ]
/ hʊf, huf /
noun, plural hoofs or hooves for 1, 2, 4; hoof for 3.
the horny covering protecting the ends of the digits or encasing the foot in certain animals, as the ox and horse.
the entire foot of a horse, donkey, etc.
Older Use. a hoofed animal, especially one of a herd.
Informal. the human foot.
verb (used with object)
Slang. to walk (often followed by it): Let's hoof it to the supermarket.
verb (used without object)
Slang. to dance, especially to tap-dance: He's been hoofing at the Palladium.
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Nearby words
hoodman-blind, hoodoo, hoodooism, hoodwink, hooey, hoof, hoof it, hoof-and-mouth disease, hoofbeat, hoofbound, hoofed
Idioms plural hoof.
on the hoof, (of livestock) not butchered; live: The city youngsters were seeing lambs on the hoof for the first time.
Origin of hoof
before 1000; Middle English (noun); Old English hōf; cognate with Old Frisian hōf, Dutch hoef, German Huf, Old Norse hōfr; compare Sanskrit śaphas
Related forms
hoof·i·ness, nounhoof·less, adjectivehoof·like, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for hoof
British Dictionary definitions for hoof
hoof
/ (huːf) /
noun plural hooves (huːvz) or hoofs
verb
(tr) to kick or trample with the hoofs
hoof it slang
- to walk
- to dance
Derived Forms
hoofless, adjectivehooflike, adjectiveWord Origin for hoof
Old English hōf; related to Old Norse hōfr, Old High German huof (German Huf), Sanskrit saphás
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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