all fours

noun

1. all four limbs or extremities; the four legs or feet of an animal or both arms and both legs or both hands and both feet of a person:

   The cat rolled off the ledge but landed on all fours.

2. (used with a singular verb) Also called high-low-jack, old sledge, pitch, seven-up. Cards. a game for two or three players or two partnerships in which a 52-card pack is used, the object being to win special scoring values for the highest trump, the lowest trump, the jack, the ace, the ten, and the face cards.

all fours

noun

1. both the arms and legs of a person or all the legs of a quadruped (esp in the phrase on all fours )
2. another name for seven-up

Word History and Origins

Origin of all fours¹

First recorded in 1555–65

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. on all fours,
   1. in conformity with; corresponding exactly with.
   2. (of a person) on the hands and feet, or the hands and knees:

      I had to go on all fours to squeeze through the low opening.

Example Sentences

The Durham pair added 37 from 31 balls before Stokes charged at Noman, comically flung his bat into the leg side and was left on all fours as wicketkeeper Muhammad Rizwan removed the bails.

From BBC

The man limps out and rubs his face before falling on all fours as the officers drive away.

From Los Angeles Times

“Booty, booty, booty,” my class instructor, DeNae D’Auria, calls out as we, on all fours, donkey kick with a bungee cord over one foot to increase resistance.

From Los Angeles Times

The Boo Hag dodges it and leaps onto a wall on all fours.

From Literature

We moved on all fours because it’s quicker, and expected.

From Literature