toe

[ toh ]

noun

1. one of the terminal digits of the human foot.
2. an analogous part in certain animals.
3. the forepart of the foot or hoof of a horse or the like.
4. the forepart of anything worn on the foot, as of a shoe or stocking.
5. a part resembling a toe in shape or position.
6. Railroads. the end of a frog in front of the point and in the direction of the switch.
7. Machinery.
   1. a journal or part placed vertically in a bearing, as the lower end of a vertical shaft.
   2. a curved partial cam lifting the flat surface of a follower and letting it drop; wiper.
8. Golf. the outer end of the head of a club.

verb (used with object)

, toed, toe·ing.

1. to furnish with a toe or toes.
2. to touch or reach with the toes:

   The pitcher toed the mound, wound up, and threw a fastball.

3. to kick with the toe.
4. Golf. to strike (the ball) with the toe of the club.
5. Carpentry.
   1. to drive (a nail) obliquely.
   2. to toenail.

verb (used without object)

, toed, toe·ing.

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

   to toe in.

2. to tap with the toe, as in dancing.

toe

/ təʊ /

noun

1. any one of the digits of the foot
2. the corresponding part in other vertebrates
3. the part of a shoe, sock, etc, covering the toes
4. anything resembling a toe in shape or position
5. the front part of the head of a golf club, hockey stick, etc
6. the lower bearing of a vertical shaft assembly
7. the tip of a cam follower that engages the cam profile
8. dip one's toe in informal.
   dip one's toe indip one's toes in to begin doing or try something new or unfamiliar
9. on one's toes
   on one's toes alert
10. tread on someone's toes
    tread on someone's toes to offend or insult a person, esp by trespassing on his or her field of responsibility
11. turn up one's toes informal.
    turn up one's toes to die
12. slang.
    speed

    a player with plenty of toe

verb

1. tr to touch, kick, or mark with the toe
2. tr golf to strike (the ball) with the toe of the club
3. tr to drive (a nail, spike, etc) obliquely
4. intr to walk with the toes pointing in a specified direction

   to toe inwards

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

Derived Forms

• ˈtoeˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• toeless adjective
• toelike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of toe¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of toe¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. on one's toes, energetic; alert; ready:

   The spirited competition kept them on their toes.

2. 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.

3. toe the line. line ¹( def 83 ).

More idioms and phrases containing toe

In addition to the idiom beginning with toe , 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 .

Example Sentences

Plus, as Mast points out, once people dip their toe in with plants, they often don’t stop at one.

From TechCrunch

With styles that say things like, “Inner Demons Do the Darndest Things”, you will be hard-pressed to find a pair that won’t add some spark to your toes.

From Popular-Science

Over the years, there have been many many major algorithm updates, as Google worked to keep us on our toes.

From Search Engine Watch

He had the toe tag on at least as a Bear in the fourth quarter Sunday, and then he makes history with an epic comeback.

From FiveThirtyEight

If we have a rapt audience, and if we can help big organizations dip their toes into the audio space by creating beautiful branded content that has an integrated feel, that’s awesome.

From Digiday

“James Woods refuses to toe the Hollyweird line,” Twitchy managing editor Lori Ziganto told The Daily Beast in an email.

From The Daily Beast

But Republican elected officials tend not to toe the conservative line, in part for political reasons.

From The Daily Beast

“I would just say that we've put our toe in the water,” she told me.

From The Daily Beast

So what if you can barely twitch a toe let alone move a leg?

From The Daily Beast

These self-dubbed gear heads go toe to toe (or perhaps more accurately, crash to crash), with the men in the sport.

From The Daily Beast

If the "Y" Beach lot press their advantage they may cut off the enemy troops on the toe of the Peninsula.

From Project Gutenberg

The Staff have made up their minds that we should be very much in the wrong box if we dossed down on the toe of the Peninsula.

From Project Gutenberg

Metal buttons or pistons located on the toe piece of the pedal-board were introduced by the ingenious Casavant of Canada.

From Project Gutenberg

These toe-pistons form an additional and most convenient means for bringing the stops into and out of action.

From Project Gutenberg

In large organs two or three adjustable toe pistons are also provided to give independent control of the Pedal organ.

From Project Gutenberg