flat foot

noun

(always so in sense 3)

ˈflat-ˌfu̇t 

ˌflat-ˈfu̇t

variants also flatfoot

plural flat feet ˈflat-ˌfēt 

ˌflat-ˈfēt

also flatfeet

1

: a condition in which the arch of the instep is flattened so that the entire sole rests upon the ground

2

: a foot affected with flat foot

3

usually flatfoot

a

or plural flatfoots, slang, old-fashioned : police officer

especially : a patrolman walking a regular beat

b

slang, old-fashioned : sailor

Did you know?

In 1899 the police officers of Akron, Ohio, climbed aboard the first police car (a patrol wagon powered by an electric motor). In that same year the noun flatty was first used in print with the meaning "police officer." Mere coincidence? Maybe, but consider that quite a few similar words have been used over the years to distinguish pedestrian officers from mobile ones, including flat, flat arch, flathead, flatter, and flatfoot. Other notable (and more comic) descriptors are pavement pounder and sidewalk snail. Flatfoot dates its "police officer" sense from 1913. It is especially used of those footing it to keep our cities safe, but it can also refer to police in general.

Synonyms of flat foot

• policeman
• cop
• officer
• constable

Examples of flat foot in a Sentence

a comic strip about a square-jawed, trench-coated flatfoot who always caught the crooks in suitably dramatic fashion

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

flatfoot

noun

flat·​foot -ˌfu̇t 

-ˈfu̇t

plural flatfeet -ˌfēt 

-ˈfēt

1

: a condition in which the main arch of the foot is so flattened that the entire sole rests upon the ground

2

: a foot affected with flatfoot

flat-footed

-ˌfu̇t-əd

-ˈfu̇t-əd

adjective

Medical Definition

flatfoot

noun

flat·​foot -ˈfu̇t, -ˌfu̇t 

plural flatfeet -ˈfēt, -ˌfēt 

1

: a condition in which the arch of the instep is flattened so that the entire sole rests upon the ground

2

: a foot affected with flatfoot