foot

[ foot ]
See synonyms for foot on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural feet for 1-4, 8-11, 16, 19, 21; foots for 20.
  1. (in vertebrates) the terminal part of the leg, below the ankle joint, on which the body stands and moves.

  2. (in invertebrates) any part similar in position or function.

  1. such a part considered as the organ of locomotion.

  2. a unit of length, originally derived from the length of the human foot. It is divided into 12 inches and equal to 30.48 centimeters. Abbreviation: ft., f.

  3. foot soldiers; infantry.

  4. walking or running motion; pace: swift of foot.

  5. quality or character of movement or motion; tread; step.

  6. any part or thing resembling a foot, as in function, placement, shape, etc.

  7. Furniture.

    • a shaped or ornamented feature terminating a leg at its lower part.

    • any of several short legs supporting a central shaft, as of a pedestal table.

  8. a rim, flange, or flaring part, often distinctively treated, serving as a base for a table furnishing or utensil, as a glass, teapot, or candlestick.

  9. the part of a stocking, sock, etc., covering the foot.

  10. the lowest part, or bottom, of anything, as of a hill, ladder, page, etc.

  11. a supporting part; base.

  12. the part of anything opposite the top or head: He waited patiently at the foot of the checkout line.

  13. the end of a bed, grave, etc., toward which the feet are placed: Put the blanket at the foot of the bed, please.

  14. Printing. the part of the type body that forms the sides of the groove, at the base.

  15. the last, as of a series.

  16. that which is written at the bottom, as the total of an account.

  17. Prosody. a group of syllables constituting a metrical unit of a verse.

  18. Usually foots .

  19. Nautical. the lower edge of a sail.

verb (used without object)
  1. to walk; go on foot (often followed by it): We'll have to foot it.

  2. to move the feet rhythmically, as to music or in dance (often followed by it).

  1. (of vessels) to move forward; sail: to foot briskly across the open water.

verb (used with object)
  1. to walk or dance on: footing the cobblestones of the old city.

  2. to perform (a dance): cavaliers footing a galliard.

  1. to traverse on or as if on foot.

  2. to make or attach a foot to: to foot a stocking.

  3. to pay or settle: I always end up footing the bill.

  4. to add (a column of figures) and set the sum at the foot (often followed by up).

  5. to seize with talons, as a hawk.

  6. to establish.

  7. Archaic. to kick, especially to kick away.

  8. Obsolete. to set foot on.

Idioms about foot

  1. get / have / a / one's foot in the door, to succeed in achieving an initial stage or step.

  2. get off on the right / wrong foot, to begin favorably or unfavorably: He got off on the wrong foot with a tactless remark about his audience.

  1. have one foot in the grave. grave1 (def. 5).

  2. on foot, by walking or running, rather than by riding.

  3. put one's best foot forward,

    • to attempt to make as good an impression as possible.

    • to proceed with all possible haste; hurry.

  4. put one's foot down, to take a firm stand; be decisive or determined.

  5. put one's foot in / into it, Informal. to make an embarrassing blunder.: Also put one's foot in / into one's mouth .

  6. set foot in / on, to go on or into; enter: Don't set foot in this office again!: Also step foot in / on .

  7. under foot, in the way: That cat is always under foot when I'm getting dinner.

Origin of foot

1
before 900; Middle English; Old English fōt; cognate with German Fuss; akin to Latin pēs (stem ped-), Greek poús (stem pod-)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for foot (1 of 2)

foot

/ (fʊt) /


nounplural feet (fiːt)
  1. the part of the vertebrate leg below the ankle joint that is in contact with the ground during standing and walking: Related adjective: pedal

  2. the part of a garment that covers a foot

  1. any of various organs of locomotion or attachment in invertebrates, including molluscs

  2. botany the lower part of some plant structures, as of a developing moss sporophyte embedded in the parental tissue

    • a unit of length equal to one third of a yard or 12 inches. 1 Imperial foot is equivalent to 0.3048 metre: Abbreviation: ft

    • any of various units of length used at different times and places, typically about 10 per cent greater than the Imperial foot

  3. any part resembling a foot in form or function: the foot of a chair

  4. the lower part of something; base; bottom: the foot of the page; the foot of a hill

  5. the end of a series or group: the foot of the list

  6. manner of walking or moving; tread; step: a heavy foot

    • infantry, esp in the British army

    • (as modifier): a foot soldier

  7. any of various attachments on a sewing machine that hold the fabric in position, such as a presser foot for ordinary sewing and a zipper foot

  8. music

    • a unit used in classifying organ pipes according to their pitch, in terms of the length of an equivalent column of air

    • this unit applied to stops and registers on other instruments

  9. printing

    • the margin at the bottom of a page

    • the undersurface of a piece of type

  10. prosody a group of two or more syllables in which one syllable has the major stress, forming the basic unit of poetic rhythm

  11. a foot in the door an action, appointment, etc, that provides an initial step towards a desired goal, esp one that is not easily attainable

  12. kick with the wrong foot Scot and Irish to be of the opposite religion to that which is regarded as acceptable or to that of the person who is speaking

  13. my foot! an expression of disbelief, often of the speaker's own preceding statement: he didn't know, my foot! Of course he did!

  14. of foot archaic in manner of movement: fleet of foot

  15. on foot

    • walking or running

    • in progress; astir; afoot

  16. one foot in the grave informal near to death

  17. on the right foot informal in an auspicious manner

  18. on the wrong foot informal in an inauspicious manner

  19. put a foot wrong to make a mistake

  20. put one's best foot forward

    • to try to do one's best

    • to hurry

  21. put one's foot down informal

    • to act firmly

    • to increase speed (in a motor vehicle) by pressing down on the accelerator

  22. put one's foot in it informal to blunder

  23. set on foot to initiate or start (something)

  24. tread under foot to oppress

  25. under foot on the ground; beneath one's feet

verb
  1. to dance to music (esp in the phrase foot it)

  2. (tr) to walk over or set foot on; traverse (esp in the phrase foot it)

  1. (tr) to pay the entire cost of (esp in the phrase foot the bill)

  2. (usually foll by up) archaic, or dialect to add up

Origin of foot

1
Old English fōt; related to Old Norse fōtr, Gothic fōtus, Old High German fuoz, Latin pēs, Greek pous, Sanskrit pad

usage For foot

In front of another noun, the plural for the unit of length is foot: a 20-foot putt; his 70-foot ketch. Foot can also be used instead of feet when mentioning a quantity and in front of words like tall: four foot of snow; he is at least six foot tall

Derived forms of foot

  • footless, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for Foot (2 of 2)

Foot

/ (fʊt) /


noun
  1. Michael (Mackintosh). 1913–2010, British Labour politician and journalist; secretary of state for employment (1974–76); leader of the House of Commons (1976–79); leader of the Labour Party (1980–83)

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

Scientific definitions for foot

foot

[ fut ]


Plural feet (fēt)
  1. A unit of length in the US Customary System equal to 13 of a yard or 12 inches (30.48 centimeters). See Table at measurement.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with foot

foot

In addition to the idioms beginning with foot

  • foot in both camps, have a
  • foot in one's mouth, put one's
  • foot in the door, get one's
  • foot the bill

also see:

  • bound hand and foot
  • caught flat-footed
  • get off on the wrong foot
  • not touch with a ten-foot pole
  • one foot in the grave
  • on foot
  • on the right foot
  • play footsie
  • put one's best foot forward
  • put one's foot down
  • put one's foot in it
  • set foot
  • shoe is on the other foot
  • shoot oneself in the foot
  • wait on hand and foot

Also see underfeet.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.