hoofbeat

[hoof-beet, hoof-]

noun

1. the sound made by an animal's hoof in walking, running, etc.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hoofbeat¹

First recorded in 1840–50; hoof + beat

Example Sentences

Soon the rhythmic thud of hoofbeats on earth alerted them that another carriage approached.

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Lucky for Booth, instead of turning into the thicket, the troops remained on the road, passed the thicket, and rode until the sound of hoofbeats vanished in the distance.

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It mutes hoofbeats and limits whatever kickback might fly in the faces of trailing horses.

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We were too far away to hear their hoofbeats, but as they surged down the track, I thought I could feel the resounding force resonating through my bones.

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For example, in the rhyme “Banbury Cross,” the patsching eighth notes in measures 3 and 4 could be mimicking the hoofbeats of the horse.

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