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tiptoe

[tip-toh]
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noun
  1. the tip or end of a toe.
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verb (used without object), tip·toed, tip·toe·ing.
  1. to move or go on tiptoe, as with caution or stealth: She tiptoed out of the room.
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adjective
  1. characterized by standing or walking on tiptoe.
  2. straining upward.
  3. eagerly expectant.
  4. cautious; stealthy.
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adverb
  1. eagerly or cautiously; on tiptoe.
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Idioms
  1. on tiptoe,
    1. on the tips of one's toes.
    2. expectant; eager: With Christmas coming, the children were on tiptoe.
    3. stealthily; cautiously: The concert had already begun, so he entered the back of the hall on tiptoe.
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Origin of tiptoe

1350–1400; Middle English tiptoon (plural noun). See tip1, toe
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for tiptoeing

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • "Yes, Uncle Matthew," John answered, tiptoeing to the side of the bed.

    The Foolish Lovers

    St. John G. Ervine

  • The unconscious stealth of her tiptoeing to the landing outside.

    The Night Riders

    Ridgwell Cullum

  • He was tiptoeing towards the door, along the wall, where he was out of line with the keyhole.

    The Lion's Skin

    Rafael Sabatini

  • Tiptoeing to the door, Jewel closed it and began to inspect her new apartment.

    Jewel

    Clara Louise Burnham

  • From that I concluded that he had either stopped or had taken to tiptoeing, too.

    Boy Scouts in the North Sea

    G. Harvey Ralphson

British Dictionary definitions for tiptoeing

tiptoe

verb -toes, -toeing or -toed (intr)
  1. to walk with the heels off the ground and the weight supported by the ball of the foot and the toes
  2. to walk silently or stealthily
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noun
  1. on tiptoe
    1. on the tips of the toes or on the ball of the foot and the toes
    2. eagerly anticipating something
    3. stealthily or silently
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adverb
  1. on tiptoe
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adjective
  1. walking or standing on tiptoe
  2. stealthy or silent
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for tiptoeing

tiptoe

n.

mid-15c., from tip (n.) + toe. As a verb from 1630s. Related: Tiptoes (late 14c.).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Idioms and Phrases with tiptoeing

tiptoe

see on tiptoe.

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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.