hoof
[hoo f, hoof]
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.
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
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for hoof
Contemporary Examples of hoof
Historical Examples of hoof
"Spoils the hoof to put the knife on the sole, Buck," said the smith.
Way of the LawlessMax Brand
Some of ye fellows is pretty careless wit' hoof grease, I'm thinkin'.
ThoroughbredsW. A. Fraser
He had got for himself a hoof and part of the shin-bone, to which quite a bit of meat was attached.
White FangJack London
His horns are thick, short, and black; and his hoof is also black.
The History of LouisianaLe Page Du Pratz
And the knock was produced by Mukhorty, who had twice struck the sledge with his hoof.
Master and ManLeo Tolstoy
hoof
noun plural hooves (huːvz) or hoofs
verb
Word Origin for hoof
Old English hōf; related to Old Norse hōfr, Old High German huof (German Huf), Sanskrit saphás
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