hoof
the horny covering protecting the ends of the digits or encasing the foot in certain animals, as the ox and horse.
the entire foot of a horse, donkey, etc.
Older Use. a hoofed animal, especially one of a herd.
Informal. the human foot.
Slang. to walk (often followed by it): Let's hoof it to the supermarket.
Slang. to dance, especially to tap-dance: He's been hoofing at the Palladium.
Idioms about hoof
on the hoof, (of livestock) not butchered; live: The city youngsters were seeing lambs on the hoof for the first time.
Origin of hoof
1Other words from hoof
- hoof·i·ness, noun
- hoofless, adjective
- hooflike, adjective
Words Nearby hoof
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use hoof in a sentence
Digging its hooves into the ground, the beast came to a halt just before it would have gored the man.
Dead, dry pieces of this fire fungus can be used in the same ways as horse hoof fungus, and they also make a nice long match.
The two types of fungi you want in your fire-starting kit | By Tim MacWelch/Outdoor Life | February 16, 2021 | Popular-ScienceThe species produces fist-sized polypore fruit bodies, which are shaped like a horse’s hoof.
The two types of fungi you want in your fire-starting kit | By Tim MacWelch/Outdoor Life | February 16, 2021 | Popular-ScienceOne runner in Houston now has a permanent, hoof-shaped scar in the center of his forehead.
Another case involved a horse working with an infected hoof.
What about the elevators—will I have to hoof it up nine flights to get home?
The Scariest Thing About Sandy: Guarding the Water Supply | Kent Sepkowitz | October 30, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTBy horseback and hoof, Twain takes us from the Mormon Theocracy of Utah to the wide-open craziness in the Sierra mining fields.
Book Bag: Timothy Egan’s Five Favorite Travel Books | Timothy Egan | October 23, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTInstead of worrying about taking a cow hoof to the crotch, perhaps Williams should just “relax and enjoy it.”
For instance, the guy that was kicked by a mule, he had a hoof mark on his head and his mule had a bloody hoof.
Black hoof was there with a large force, but he could not tarry without leaving the Scioto towns uncovered.
A Virginia Scout | Hugh PendexterBlack hoof with a lightning gesture raised his ax and struck Dale with the flat of it, sending him crashing to the ground.
A Virginia Scout | Hugh PendexterBy daylight I perceived by the signs that the greater number of the band had gone ahead, probably under the lead of Black hoof.
A Virginia Scout | Hugh PendexterWhile they were thus mocking me Black hoof appeared, moving with great dignity, and dispersing my tormentors with a gesture.
A Virginia Scout | Hugh Pendexter
British Dictionary definitions for hoof
/ (huːf) /
the horny covering of the end of the foot in the horse, deer, and all other ungulate mammals
(in combination): a hoofbeat Related adjective: ungular
the foot of an ungulate mammal
a hoofed animal
facetious a person's foot
on the hoof
(of livestock) alive
in an impromptu manner: he did his thinking on the hoof
(tr) to kick or trample with the hoofs
hoof it slang
to walk
to dance
Origin of hoof
1Derived forms of hoof
- hoofless, adjective
- hooflike, adjective
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
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