hoof

[hoof, hoof]

noun

plural

hoofs, hooves, hoof. 

1. the horny covering protecting the ends of the digits or encasing the foot in certain animals, as the ox and horse.

2. the entire foot of a horse, donkey, etc.

3. Older Use.,  a hoofed animal, especially one of a herd.

4. Informal.,  the human foot.

verb (used with object)

1. Slang.,  to walk (often followed byit ).

   Let's hoof it to the supermarket.

verb (used without object)

1. Slang.,  to dance, especially to tap-dance.

   He's been hoofing at the Palladium.

hoof

/ huːf /

noun

1. 1. the horny covering of the end of the foot in the horse, deer, and all other ungulate mammals

   2. ( in combination )

      a hoofbeat

2. the foot of an ungulate mammal

3. a hoofed animal

4. facetious,  a person's foot

5. 1. (of livestock) alive

   2. in an impromptu manner

      he did his thinking on the hoof

verb

1. (tr) to kick or trample with the hoofs

2. slang

   1. to walk

   2. to dance

Other Word Forms

• hoofiness noun
• hoofless adjective
• hooflike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hoof¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English (noun); Old English hōf; cognate with Old Frisian hōf, Dutch hoef, German Huf, Old Norse hōfr; compare Sanskrit śaphas

Word History and Origins

Origin of hoof¹

Old English hōf; related to Old Norse hōfr, Old High German huof (German Huf ), Sanskrit saphás

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. on the hoof, (of livestock) not butchered; live.

   The city youngsters were seeing lambs on the hoof for the first time.

Example Sentences

The culinary mismatch between “here” and “back there” let the folks “back there” believe we shot our food on the hoof and ate it with bare hands.

From Los Angeles Times

As if that wasn’t bad enough, the sheep kicks him with a hind hoof as it stumbles away.

From Los Angeles Times

The reprieve, and entry, came when Rodriguez was scratched because of a sore hoof.

From Los Angeles Times

Villagers have awoken to a replica pony standing tall in place of a bronze metal statue which was cut down to its hooves last summer.

From BBC

"They will provide a habitat for a much more diverse species range by their hooves marking the ground, driving in acorns, rolling on the ground and they'll graze anything and everything," he said.

From BBC

Related Words

• paw