cloven-hoofed

[ kloh-vuhn-hooft, -hooft ]

adjective

1. having split hoofs, once assumed to represent the halves of a single undivided hoof, as in cattle.
2. devilish; Satanic.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cloven-hoofed¹

First recorded in 1640–50

Example Sentences

Foot and mouth disease is highly transmissible and causes lesions and lameness in cattle, sheep, goats and other cloven-hoofed animals, but does not affect humans.

From Reuters

Last December, Ms. Miller tweeted a picture of a cloven-hoofed sculpture that the Satanic Temple, a self-described nontheistic religious group, had installed near a Christmas tree and Nativity scene inside the Illinois State Capitol.

From New York Times

FMD is highly transmissible and causes lesions and lameness in cattle, sheep, goats and other cloven-hoofed animals, but does not affect humans.

From Reuters

In cloven-hoofed animals, the disease can cause blisters and lesions that prevent animals from eating and in some cases cause lameness and death.

From Washington Times

This disease of cloven-hoofed animals is arguably the most economically damaging animal disease in the world, with global impacts estimated to potentially exceed US$22.5 billion annually.

From Scientific American