1 foot
/ˈfʊt/
noun
plural
feet
/ˈfiːt/
1 foot
/ˈfʊt/
noun
plural
feet
/ˈfiːt/
Britannica Dictionary definition of FOOT
1
[count]
:
the part of the leg on which an animal or person stands and moves
:
the part of the leg below the ankle
-
He was wearing boots on his feet.
-
tracks made by the feet of a bird
-
standing on one foot
-
The people in the crowd began to stamp their feet.
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She was walking around the house in (her) bare feet. [=she was not wearing any shoes or socks]
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She was in her stockinged/stocking feet. [=she was wearing socks but no shoes]
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It's a long hike, but we'll get there if we just keep putting one foot in front of the other. [=if we just keep walking]
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Wipe your feet [=rub the bottoms of your shoes on the doormat] when you come in.
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— often used before another noun
-
a foot pump [=a pump that is operated by being pressed with the foot]
-
a foot brake
-
an area that gets a lot of foot traffic [=an area where many people walk]
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— see also athlete's foot, clubfoot, cold feet, flat foot
2
[count]
plural also
foot
:
a unit of measurement equal to ¹/₃ yard (0.3048 meter) or 12 inches
-
a 10-foot pole = a pole 10 feet long
-
He's six feet tall.
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He's six feet, three inches tall. = He's six foot three.
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a plant that grows three feet tall = a three-foot-tall plant
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3
[singular]
a
:
the lowest part of something
:
bottom
-
They camped at the foot of the mountain.
-
at the foot of the stairs
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b
:
the end of something that is opposite to the end that is called the head
-
the foot of the bed [=the end where your feet are when you are lying on the bed]
-
the foot of the table
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4
[count]
:
a basic unit of rhythm in a line of poetry made up of a group of syllables that are accented in a certain way
-
Each line of the poem has five feet.
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at someone's feet
:
close to someone's feet
-
His dog was lying at his feet.
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— sometimes used figuratively
-
He was young and fearless, and he felt the world was at his feet. [=felt that he could do great things in the world]
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She claimed that men fell at her feet. [=that men often fell in love with her]
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be run/rushed off your feet
British
:
to be very busy
-
We are run off our feet trying to fill orders.
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drag your feet
— see 1drag
feet of clay
◊ A person who was admired in the past but who has serious faults or flaws can be described as having feet of clay. a former political leader who turned out to have feet of clay [+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples
find your feet
:
to start to be comfortable in a new situation
:
to begin to be confident or successful
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They quickly found their feet in their adopted country.
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I was away for a long time, so it will take me a while to find my feet again.
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get/start off on the right foot
:
to begin a relationship well
-
I want to get off on the right foot with your parents.
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get/start off on the wrong foot
:
to begin a relationship badly
-
They got off on the wrong foot when they first met and they've disliked each other ever since.
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get your feet wet
— see 1wet
get your foot in the door
:
to make the first step toward a goal by gaining entry into an organization, a career, etc.
-
He took a job as a secretary to get his foot in the door.
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hand and foot
— see 1hand
have one foot in the grave
:
to be close to dying because of old age or illness
have/keep your feet on the ground
:
to be a sensible and practical person
-
Even after she became famous, she always kept her feet on the ground.
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let the grass grow under your feet
— see 1grass
light on your feet
— see 4light
my foot
informal + somewhat old-fashioned
— used to express surprise or disagreement
-
Fair, my foot! That contest wasn't fair!
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off your feet
:
not in a standing position
:
in or into a sitting or lying position
-
The blow knocked me off my feet.
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The doctor suggested that he stay off his feet [=that he avoid standing and walking] as much as possible.
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on foot
:
by walking
-
The refugees traveled on foot.
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on your feet
1
:
in a standing position
-
I've been on my feet all day.
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He jumped over the wall and landed on his feet.
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They say that no matter how a cat falls, it always manages to land on its feet.
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By the end of the day the workers were dead on their feet. [=very tired but still standing, working, etc.]
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◊ In figurative use, to land on your feet or Brit fall on your feet is to be lucky and be in good condition or in a good situation after having a bad or difficult experience. He lost his job but landed on his feet when he was hired by another company just a few days later. [+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples
2
:
in a good position or condition
-
The business is finally/back on its feet.
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3
:
in a healthy condition after an illness or injury
-
She should be out of the hospital and (back) on her feet again in a couple of weeks.
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4
:
quickly and while actively doing something
-
Good debaters can think on their feet.
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put a foot wrong
:
to make a mistake
-
He never put a foot wrong during the campaign.
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put your best foot forward
1
US
:
to behave very well so that someone will like you and approve of you
-
When I visited my girlfriend's parents I tried to be very polite and put my best foot forward.
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2
British
:
to try as hard as possible to do something difficult
-
I've got to put my best foot forward [=do my best] to meet this deadline.
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put your feet up
informal
:
to sit and relax
:
to not work or be active
-
I'm going to go home and put my feet up.
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put your foot down
1
:
to deal with someone in a harsh or strict way
-
When my son broke his curfew for the third time, I knew it was time to put my foot down.
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2
British
:
to make a car go faster
put your foot in your mouth
(chiefly US)
informal
or
put your foot in it
:
to say something that causes someone to be embarrassed, upset, or hurt especially when you did not expect that reaction
-
I really put my foot in it when I asked her about her job. I didn't know she'd just been fired.
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set foot in
:
to enter (a place)
-
That was the last time she ever set foot in this house.
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set foot on
:
to walk on (something)
-
Neil Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the surface of the moon.
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shoot yourself in the foot
— see 1shoot
stand on your own two feet
:
to support yourself without help from other people
-
You can't live with your parents forever. It's time to get a place of your own and learn to stand on your own two feet.
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sweep (someone) off his/her feet
— see 1sweep
the shoe is on the other foot
or British
the boot is on the other foot
— used to say that a situation has changed to the opposite of what it was before
-
I used to boss my little sister around. Now the shoe is on the other foot. [=now she bosses me around]
-
The shoe is on the other foot and he is the one asking for help this time.
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to your feet
:
to a standing position
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I got/rose to my feet [=I stood up] and left.
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His inspirational speech brought the crowd to its feet.
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Everyone in the courtroom came to their feet when the judge entered.
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two left feet
◊ A person who dances badly can be described as having two left feet. My wife is a good dancer, but I've got two left feet. [+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples
under your feet
chiefly British
:
in the way
:
underfoot
-
I can't get any work done with those kids under my feet.
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vote with your feet
— see 1vote
2 foot
/ˈfʊt/
verb
foots;
footed;
footing
2 foot
/ˈfʊt/
verb
foots;
footed;
footing
Britannica Dictionary definition of FOOT
foot the bill
:
to pay for something
-
His parents footed the bill for his college education.
-
It was a business lunch, so the company is footing the bill.
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