toe

[ toh ]

/ toʊ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR toe ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

one of the terminal digits of the human foot.

an analogous part in certain animals.

the forepart of the foot or hoof of a horse or the like.

the forepart of anything worn on the foot, as of a shoe or stocking.

a part resembling a toe in shape or position.

Railroads. the end of a frog in front of the point and in the direction of the switch.

Machinery.

a journal or part placed vertically in a bearing, as the lower end of a vertical shaft.
a curved partial cam lifting the flat surface of a follower and letting it drop; wiper.

Golf. the outer end of the head of a club.

verb (used with object), toed, toe·ing.

to furnish with a toe or toes.

to touch or reach with the toes: The pitcher toed the mound, wound up, and threw a fastball.

to kick with the toe.

Golf. to strike (the ball) with the toe of the club.

Carpentry.

to drive (a nail) obliquely.
to toenail.

verb (used without object), toed, toe·ing.

to stand, walk, etc., with the toes in a specified position: to toe in.

to tap with the toe, as in dancing.

Nearby words

Idioms

on one's toes, energetic; alert; ready: The spirited competition kept them on their toes.

step/tread on (someone's) toes, to offend (a person); encroach on the territory or sphere of responsibility of (another): The new employee stepped on a lot of toes when he suggested reorganizing the office.

toe the line. line¹(def 83).

Origin of toe

before 900; Middle English; Old English tā; cognate with Dutch teen, German Zehe, Old Norse tā

Related formstoe·less, adjectivetoe·like, adjective

Can be confusedtoe tow

Definition for toe (2 of 2)

Blake

[ bleyk ]

/ bleɪk /

noun

HectorToe, 1912–1995, Canadian ice hockey player and coach.

James HubertEubie, 1883–1983, U.S. jazz pianist and composer.

Robert,1599–1657, British admiral.

William,1757–1827, English poet, engraver, and painter.

a male or female given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for toe

“James Woods refuses to toe the Hollyweird line,” Twitchy managing editor Lori Ziganto told The Daily Beast in an email.
How James Woods Became Obama’s Biggest Twitter Troll|Asawin Suebsaeng|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But Republican elected officials tend not to toe the conservative line, in part for political reasons.
The GOP and Police Unions: A Love Story|Eleanor Clift|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“I would just say that we've put our toe in the water,” she told me.
I Got Kicked Out Of The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show|Nico Hines|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So what if you can barely twitch a toe let alone move a leg?
Flying Coach Is the New Hell: How Airlines Engineer You Out of Room|Clive Irving|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST

These self-dubbed gear heads go toe to toe (or perhaps more accurately, crash to crash), with the men in the sport.
The Moms of Monster Jam Drive Trucks, Buck Macho Culture|Eliza Krigman|November 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I used to stub my toe so; you ought to recollect me by that.
Back Home|Eugene Wood
Insert your toe in the stirrup, just as it hangs, using your right hand if necessary.
Patroclus and Penelope|Theodore Ayrault Dodge
Two or three narrow bands are usually present on the proximal part of the fourth toe.
Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus Smilisca|William E. Duellman
Using his copious tears for ink and his toe for a brush, the little fellow sketched some rats upon the floor.
Myths & Legends of Japan|F. Hadland (Frederick Hadland) Davis
Fly the country—cut off a finger or toe—break your arm—or do something that may prevent you from being there.
The Station; The Party Fight And Funeral; The Lough Derg Pilgrim|William Carleton

British Dictionary definitions for toe (1 of 2)

toe

/ (təʊ) /

noun

any one of the digits of the foot

the corresponding part in other vertebrates

the part of a shoe, sock, etc, covering the toes

anything resembling a toe in shape or position

the front part of the head of a golf club, hockey stick, etc

the lower bearing of a vertical shaft assembly

the tip of a cam follower that engages the cam profile

dip one's toe in or dip one's toes in informal to begin doing or try something new or unfamiliar

on one's toes alert

tread on someone's toes to offend or insult a person, esp by trespassing on his or her field of responsibility

turn up one's toes informal to die

Australian slang speeda player with plenty of toe

verb toes, toeing or toed

(tr) to touch, kick, or mark with the toe

(tr) golf to strike (the ball) with the toe of the club

(tr) to drive (a nail, spike, etc) obliquely

(intr) to walk with the toes pointing in a specified directionto toe inwards

toe the line to conform to expected standards, attitudes, etc

Derived Formstoelike, adjective

Word Origin for toe

Old English tā; related to Old Frisian tāne, Old Norse tā, Old High German zēha, Latin digitus finger

British Dictionary definitions for toe (2 of 2)

Blake

/ (bleɪk) /

noun

Sir Peter . born 1932, British painter, a leading exponent of pop art in the 1960s: co-founder of the Brotherhood of Ruralists (1969)

Sir Quentin (Saxby). born 1932, British artist, illustrator, and children's writer; noted esp for his illustrations to books by Roald Dahl

Robert . 1599–1657, English admiral, who commanded Cromwell's fleet against the Royalists, the Dutch, and the Spanish

William . 1757–1827, English poet, painter, engraver, and mystic. His literary works include Songs of Innocence (1789) and Songs of Experience (1794), The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1793), and Jerusalem (1820). His chief works in the visual arts include engravings of a visionary nature, such as the illustrations for The Book of Job (1826), for Dante's poems, and for his own Prophetic Books (1783–1804)

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 toe (1 of 2)

toe

Old English ta (plural tan), contraction of *tahe (Mercian tahæ), from Proto-Germanic *taikhwo (cf. Old Norse ta, Old Frisian tane, Middle Dutch te, Dutch teen, Old High German zecha, German Zehe "toe"), probably originally meaning "fingers" as well (many PIE languages still use one word to mean both fingers and toes). The Old English plural tan survived in southwestern England to 14c. To be on (one's) toes "alert, eager" is recorded from 1921.

Word Origin and History for toe (1 of 2)

toe

"touch or reach with the toes," 1813, from toe (n.). First recorded in expression toe the mark, which seems to be nautical in origin.

The chief mate ... marked a line on the deck, brought the two boys up to it, making them 'toe the mark.' [R.H. Dana, "Two Years Before the Mast," 1840]

Related: Toed; toeing.

Medicine definitions for toe

toe

[ tō ]

n.

Any of the digits of a foot.

Idioms and Phrases with toe

toe

In addition to the idiom beginning with toe

toe the line

also see:

dip one's toes into
from head to toe
on one's toes
step on someone's toes
turn up one's toes

toe

noun

verb (used with object), toed, toe·ing.

verb (used without object), toed, toe·ing.

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of toe

Definition for toe (2 of 2)

Blake

noun

Examples from the Web for toe

British Dictionary definitions for toe (1 of 2)

toe

noun

verb toes, toeing or toed

Word Origin for toe

British Dictionary definitions for toe (2 of 2)

Blake

noun

Word Origin and History for toe (1 of 2)

toe

Word Origin and History for toe (1 of 2)

toe

Medicine definitions for toe

toe

n.

Idioms and Phrases with toe

toe