hoof

American  

[hoof, hoof] / hʊf, huf /

noun

• hoofs,
  plural
• hooves,
  plural
• hoof
  plural

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.

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verb (used with object)

1. Slang. to walk (often followed byit ).

   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.

idioms

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

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

hoof British  

/ 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 )

      a hoofbeat

2. the foot of an ungulate mammal

3. a hoofed animal

4. facetious a person's foot

5. 1. (of livestock) alive

   2. in an impromptu manner

      he did his thinking on the hoof

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verb

1. (tr) to kick or trample with the hoofs

2. slang

   1. to walk

   2. to dance

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• hoofiness
  noun
• hoofless
  adjective
• hooflike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• hoof
  plural
• hoofs
  plural
• hooves
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hoof

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

Explanation

A foot is to a human what a hoof is to a horse, a goat, or a giraffe. Each hoof protects the animal and helps it to walk and run. A hoof is made of keratin, just like your fingernails, but it tends to be thicker and harder since it has to bear the weight of the animal. Hoof can also be a verb that, surprisingly enough, applies to humans. Maybe you have offered someone a ride, only to be told, "No, I think I'll just hoof it," meaning walk or otherwise go on foot. Hoof is sometimes substituted for dance if the person doing it is getting paid.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hoof hoofs hooves

Foot-and-mouth causes fever and blisters near the hoof and in the mouth that prevent animals from feeding, as seen in the emaciated survivors.

From Barron's ● Mar. 13, 2026

House calls for hoof trims or tusk care can cost hundreds of dollars.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026

Intense work schedules covering the 2008 banking crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in too many cakes and treats grabbed on the hoof.

From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2026

The tips of each of the three hind toes were enclosed in a wedge-shaped hoof with a flat underside, similar to that of a horse.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 30, 2025

Annex: “Trains? Do you really think they’d put civilians on trains? Absolutely not. Everyone would have to hoof it.”

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

She knows she can nail this role and she really hoofs it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2025

“There are scenes with galloping horses in the film, and the sound of the hoofs will match the rhythm of the music,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2024

They’ve already had a decent penalty appeal turned down and now they had a free-kick right on the edge of the D. Tom Lawrence hoofs it straight into the wall.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 19, 2022

The horses’ hoofs clattered and the riders held their heads high as they rode down the main streets of town.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 30, 2021

There was a noise like a strong wind blowing, and on it was borne the sound of hoofs, galloping, galloping, galloping from the East.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien

The horses are characterised by their "large size, long legs, well-developed musculature, slender and elegant head -- set on a long, straight neck -- expressive eyes, high withers and sturdy hooves," he added.

From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026

“At any given point, the pike was a symphony of spinning wheels, creaking cabs, clopping hooves, and droning livestock,” Mr. Crytzer writes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

That sound of hooves isn't retreating reindeer, but advancing Red Bulls.

From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2025

This city may be small, but in 1926 it became immortal, the place where a fiesta, thundering hooves, and a novel collided to shape modern legend.

From Salon ● Nov. 8, 2025

As Jones discussed the escape plan with Booth and Herold, he became distracted when he heard a familiar and terrifying sound in the distance—clanking metal and horses’ hooves pounding the earth.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

Related Words

• paw