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toehold

 - 2 dictionary results

toe⋅hold

[toh-hohld]
–noun
1. a small ledge or niche just large enough to support the toes, as in climbing.
2. any slight or initial support, influence, advantage, progress, or the like: His knowledge of Latin gave him a toehold for learning French.
3. a batten nailed to a sloping roof as a support for workers.
4. Wrestling. a hold in which an opponent's foot is twisted.
Also, toe-hold.


Origin:
1875–80; toe + hold 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To toehold
toe·hold   (tō'hōld')   
n.  
  1. A small indentation or ledge on which the toe of a shoe can find support in climbing.

  2. A slight or initial yet significant advantage useful for future progress: Family connections gave her a toehold in politics.

  3. Sports A wrestling hold in which one competitor wrenches the other's foot.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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