foot

1 of 2

noun

ˈfu̇t 

plural feet ˈfēt  also foot

1

: the terminal part of the vertebrate (see vertebrate entry 1) leg upon which an individual stands

2

: an invertebrate organ of locomotion or attachment

especially : a ventral (see ventral entry 1 sense 1b) muscular surface or process of a mollusk

3

: any of various units of length based on the length of the human foot

especially : a unit equal to ¹/₃ yard and comprising 12 inches

—plural foot used between a number and a noun

a 10-foot pole

—plural feet or foot used between a number and an adjective

6 feet tall

see Weights and Measures Table

4

: the basic unit of verse meter consisting of any of various fixed combinations or groups of stressed and unstressed or long and short syllables

Each line of the poem contains five feet.

5

a

: motion or power of walking or running : step

fleet of foot

b

: speed, swiftness

showed early foot

6

: something resembling a foot in position or use: such as

a

: the lower end of the leg of a chair or table

b(1)

: the basal portion of the sporophyte in mosses

(2)

: a specialized outgrowth by which the embryonic sporophyte especially of many bryophytes absorbs nourishment from the gametophyte

c

: a piece on a sewing machine that presses the cloth against the feed

7

foot plural, chiefly British : infantry

8

: the lower edge (as of a sail)

9

: the lowest part : bottom

the foot of the hill

10

a

: the end that is lower or opposite the head

the foot of the bed

b

: the part (as of a stocking) that covers the foot

11

foots plural in form but singular or plural in construction : material deposited especially in aging or refining : dregs

12

foots plural : footlights

foot

2 of 2

verb

footed; footing; foots

intransitive verb

1

: dance

2

: to go on foot

3

of a sailboat : to make speed : move

transitive verb

1

a

: to perform the movements of (a dance)

b

: to walk, run, or dance on, over, or through

2

archaic

a

: kick

b

: reject

3

archaic : establish

4

a

: to add up

b

: to pay or stand credit for

foot the bill

5

: to make or renew the foot of

foot a stocking

Phrases

at one's feet

: under one's spell or influence

The champion loved the feeling that the world was at his feet.

foot in the door

: the initial step toward a goal

He took a job as a secretary to get his foot in the door.

off one's feet

: in a sitting or lying position

The doctor advised her to stay off her feet.

on foot

: by walking or running

tour the campus on foot

on one's feet

1

: in a standing position

He works on his feet all day.

2

: in an established position or state

The business is finally back on its feet.

3

: in a recovered condition (as from illness)

back on my feet

4

: in an extemporaneous (see extemporaneous sense 1a) manner : while in action

good debaters can think on their feet

to one's feet

: to a standing position

brought the crowd to its feet

Synonyms

Noun

• base
• basement
• bottom
• nadir
• rock bottom

Verb

• ante (up)
• balance
• clear
• discharge
• liquidate
• meet
• pay
• pay off
• pay up
• pony up
• quit
• recompense
• settle
• spring (for)
• stand

Examples of foot in a Sentence

Noun

He was wearing boots on his feet.

tracks made by the feet of a bird

The people in the crowd began to stamp their feet.

They camped at the foot of the mountain.

at the foot of the stairs

the foot of the table

Verb

I'll foot the bill for dinner.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Before this year, only 17 men – and no women – had ever completed all five loops of the race, which covers somewhere between 100 and 130 miles and takes in 63,000 feet of elevation – more than twice the height of Mount Everest. —George Ramsay, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024

Overnight, Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area recorded a foot of fresh snow. —Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 6 Apr. 2024

As a result, the Sierras can experience blizzards that would be unfathomable in low-lying areas, like a single storm in late March, which deposited more than 10 feet of snow at the Sugar Bowl ski resort over the course of four days. —Ned Kleiner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024

But the water is so murky that salvage divers can’t see more than one to two feet in front of them, Gov. Wes Moore said at a news conference Thursday afternoon. —Lea Skene, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024

Admire the hardwood flooring, open spaces, views of San Francisco and exhilarating style with walls of glass that open to over 1,000 square feet of decking with barbecue hookups and enchanting views. —Bang Advertising Staff and Correspondents, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024

What the stats say:Is Caitlin Clark or Paige Bueckers college basketball's best player? Anyone who has watched Clark play this season can be easily impressed by her shots from several feet behind the three-point line or her long, precise passes to other Hawkeyes racing down the court for layups. —Caitlin Clark, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024

The Heat was also without four other rotation players against the Cavaliers because of injuries — Herro (right foot medial tendinitis), Love (right heel bruise), Josh Richardson (right shoulder surgery) and Robinson (left facet syndrome). —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2024

The banner and the trophy The Rangers will raise their World Series banner, which measures 20 feet high and 30 feet wide, prior to Thursday’s game. —David Ammenheuser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2024

Verb

Getting the overhaul wrong would mean companies and consumers foot a huge multi-trillion-euro bill for the green transition while handing an edge to China and the US. —Ewa Krukowska, Fortune Europe, 5 Apr. 2024

Smaller European exporters may also be badly hit, according to Southall, because British businesses may ask these exporters to foot some of the extra costs. —Anna Cooban, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024

But Maryland taxpayers could still be left to foot some of the costs, based on the structure of the U.S. Transportation Department’s emergency relief fund. —Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024

That grant has thrown a wrench into broader Chips Act negotiations over the past few weeks because the Pentagon pulled out from a plan to foot more than two-thirds of the bill. —Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024

The $10-million bill for the advertisements, which were designed to bump Porter out of the race for a rare open Senate seat, was footed by a super PAC called Fairshake that is funded by cryptocurrency companies and their executives. —Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024

James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan pleaded guilty Thursday to foot travel in a restricted thermal area of Yellowstone National Park and was ordered to pay about $1,500, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Wyoming said in a news release. —EW.com, 14 Mar. 2024

Not only are there billionaires, like Bloomberg, who have signed the Giving Pledge, Maryland ranks second in the nation in millionaires, according to Forbes; certainly there must be one or two who would foot some of the bill for ending Baltimore’s scourge of vacants. —Dan Rodricks, Baltimore Sun, 13 Feb. 2024

Even if parents are helping foot the college bill (or just applying pressure), the drive for a double major often comes from within. —Emma Whitford, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English fot, from Old English fōt; akin to Old High German fuot foot, Latin ped-, pes, Greek pod-, pous

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing foot

• acre-foot
• athlete's foot
• bird's-foot trefoil
• bird's-foot violet
• board foot
• calf's-foot jelly
• claw-foot
• cloven foot
• crow's foot
• fescue foot
• fleet of foot
• foot-and-mouth disease
• foot-candle
• foot-dragging
• foot fault
• foot in the door
• foot patrol
• foot-pound
• foot-pound-second
• foot rot
• foot soldier
• foot the bill
• foot traffic
• from head to foot/toe
• get one's foot in the door
• get/start off on the right foot
• get/start off on the wrong foot
• hand and foot
• hand, foot and mouth disease
• have one foot in the grave
• lead foot
• light-foot
• my foot
• neat's-foot oil
• not touch (someone or something) with a ten-foot pole
• on foot
• pedestrian/foot traffic
• put a foot wrong
• put one foot in front of the other
• put one's best foot forward
• put one's foot down
• put one's foot in it
• put one's foot in one's mouth
• set foot in
• set foot on
• shoot oneself in the foot
• single-foot
• the boot is on the other foot
• the shoe is on the other foot
• trench foot
• tube foot
• wait on (someone) hand and foot
• wouldn't touch (something) with a 10-foot pole
• wrong-foot

Kids Definition

foot

1 of 2 noun

ˈfu̇t 

plural feet ˈfēt  also foot

1

a

: the end part of the leg below the ankle of a vertebrate animal

b

: an organ upon which an invertebrate animal stands or moves

especially : a bottom muscular part of a mollusk

2

: a unit of length equal to ⅓ yard or 12 inches (0.3048 meter)

a 10-foot pole

six feet tall

see measure

3

: the basic unit of verse meter made up of a group of accented and unaccented syllables

4

: something resembling an animal's foot in position or use or in being opposite the head

the foot of a mountain

the foot of a bed

foot

2 of 2 verb

1

a

: dance entry 1 sense 1

b

: walk entry 1 sense 1

c

: run entry 1 sense 1a

2

a

: to add up

b

: to pay or provide for paying

foot the bill

Medical Definition

foot

noun

ˈfu̇t 

plural feet ˈfēt  also foot

1

: the terminal part of the vertebrate leg upon which an individual stands

2

: any of various units of length based on the length of the human foot

especially : a unit equal to ¹/₃ yard or 12 inches or 30.48 centimeters

—plural foot used between a number and a noun

a 10-foot pole

—plural feet or foot used between a number and an adjective

6 feet tall