hoof

1 of 2

noun

plural hooves ˈhüvz How to pronounce hoof (audio)
ˈhu̇vz
also hoofs
1
: a curved covering of horn that protects the front of or encloses the ends of the digits of an ungulate mammal and that corresponds to a nail or claw
2
: a hoofed foot especially of a horse

Illustration of hoof

Illustration of hoof
  • 1 2 3 4 parts of wall
  • 1 toe
  • 2 side walls
  • 3 quarters
  • 4 buttresses
  • 5 bulbs
  • 6 sole
  • 7 frog

hoof

2 of 2

verb

hoofed; hoofing; hoofs

transitive verb

1
: to walk especially with haste
hoofed it to the lecture hall
2

intransitive verb

: to move on the feet
especially : dance
Phrases
on the hoof
of a meat animal : before butchering : living
90¢ a pound on the hoof

Examples of hoof in a Sentence

Verb The cast was hoofing on the stage.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Sagebrush crushes under my horse’s hooves, wafting a sharp sweetness into the Wyoming air. Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 12 Feb. 2024 Tail-wagging is rhythmic, and previous studies have found that rhythms — everything from music to the sound of pounding horse hoofs — trigger brain activity that helps make people feel joyful. Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2024 The soil beneath her hooves began to collapse as a sinkhole formed, trapping the 20-year-old horse neck-deep in mud, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a Feb. 21 news release. Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 22 Feb. 2024 Their beating hoofs sound like a sudden downpour on the centuries-old gravel road. Jayne Orenstein, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2024 In search of a new way to stop stormwater flooding, the city of Dallas recently hired new employees with deep stomachs and small hooves: a massive herd of goats. Isabella Volmert, Dallas News, 9 Aug. 2023 Then, in 2021, they were suddenly removed overnight by a landscape contractor who — to the horror of preservationists — sawed them off at the knees to conduct a water main repair, leaving behind only their little hooves. Curbed, 12 Jan. 2024 The work was painstaking — the restorers asked the contractors to bring them the hooves that had been attached to the plaza, but they were damaged beyond repair. Curbed, 12 Jan. 2024 Horses were well equipped to weather the Ice Age, their hard hoofs able to break through snow and ice to expose grasses underneath. Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2023
Verb
Teams hustle to overwhelm an opponent’s base before a rival group claims theirs; as the contestants hoof through dense foliage, a drone shot soars over to capture the frenetic scramble. Siren Goes Off, Vulture, 16 June 2023 The usefulness of it while hoofing away from predators (or toward food) may have driven natural selection, the researchers say. Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 31 May 2023 While San Diegans put up with one of the coldest, wettest winters in the last half century, the weather was Chamber of Commerce ideal Sunday: temperature in the 60s, little wind, waves crashing in the backdrop as the runners hoofed it along Carlsbad Boulevard. Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Apr. 2023 That’s good news for hikers and backpackers who happily hoof it to explore the remote shoreline. Mary Forgione, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2021 Want to hoof it? Caroline McKenzie, Country Living, 16 Nov. 2022 And now they’re all screwed and get to go hoof it through the nuclear wasteland that is Texas. Erik Kain, Forbes, 22 May 2022 Get out of your car and hoof it through three walk-through haunted attractions. oregonlive, 24 Sep. 2021 This encourages employees to skip the elevator and hoof it to their meetings. Nancy Clanton, ajc, 6 Jan. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hoof.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English hōf; akin to Old High German huof hoof, Sanskrit śapha

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1641, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hoof was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hoof

Cite this Entry

“Hoof.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoof. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hoof

1 of 2 noun
plural hooves ˈhu̇vz How to pronounce hoof (audio)
ˈhüvz
or hoofs
1
: a covering of horn that protects the front of or encloses the ends of the toes of some mammals (as horses, oxen, and pigs) and that corresponds to a nail or claw
2
: a hoofed foot especially of a horse
hoofed
ˈhu̇ft
ˈhüft
ˈhu̇vd
ˈhüvd
adjective

hoof

2 of 2 verb
1
: to walk especially with haste
hoofed it to class
2
: to dance especially as a performer
watched the cast hoofing on the stage
hoofer noun

Medical Definition

hoof

noun
plural hooves ˈhüvz How to pronounce hoof (audio) ˈhu̇vz How to pronounce hoof (audio) also hoofs
: a horny covering that protects the ends of the toes of numerous plant-eating 4-footed mammals (as horses or cattle)
also : a hoofed foot

More from Merriam-Webster on hoof

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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