hoof

noun \ ˈhu̇f , ˈhüf \

Updated on: 14 May 2018

Definition of hoof

plural hooves play \ˈhüvz, 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

— on the hoof

of a meat animal : before butchering : living

90¢ a pound on the hoof

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Recent Examples of hoof from the Web

All the sweet little three-year-old horses had wet, muddy little hooves.

— kelly conaboy, The Cut, "Congrats to All of the Kentucky Derby Horses, But Mostly Just the One," 7 May 2018
Rattlesnakes are designed to hear the pounding of bison hooves, not the quiet roll of a tire tread.

— wes siler, Outside Online, "How to Survive Encounters with Dangerous Animals," 7 May 2018
Outside my tent’s canvas, the wildebeest were moving in long, loose columns, cantering across the earth, the black soil stuck to their hooves.

— sophy roberts, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Ultimate Safari: Seeing the Great Migration in Kenya and Tanzania," 25 Apr. 2018
Pronghorn hit speeds faster than any other mammal in North America, so once an animal was secured, several hands lifted its hooves off the ground.

— alex devoid, azcentral, "Back from the brink, the Sonoran pronghorn now roam an increasingly political landscape," 27 Mar. 2018
The airline has updated its policy on emotional support animals, banning amphibians and animals with hooves, tusks, or horns.

— chris morris, Fortune, "Sorry Folks, No More Emotional Support Goats on Alaska Airlines," 25 Apr. 2018
The airline will also stop allowing amphibians, goats, and animals with hooves, tusks, or horns.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Wahlburgers gains shelf space in grocery stores," 24 Apr. 2018
An additional six goats and sheep had overgrown hooves, which the report notes can lead to lameness and can stress joints and ligaments.

— sandi doughton, The Seattle Times, "Inspection finds ailing goats and sheep at Redmond research lab," 23 Apr. 2018
Sinking into the earth seemed a real possibility, and a profound reminder that this ground was not meant for tires or sneakers, but for paws and hooves.

— New York Times, "At Basin and Range National Monument, Landscapes, Art and Aliens," 19 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hoof.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of hoof

Origin and Etymology of hoof

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

hoof

verb

Definition of hoof

transitive verb

1 : to walk especially with haste

hoofed it to the lecture hall

2 : kick, trample

intransitive verb

: to move on the feet; especially : dance

See hoof defined for English-language learners

Examples of hoof in a Sentence

The cast was hoofing on the stage.

Recent Examples of hoof from the Web

Often, her daily after-school schedule consists of a couple of hours of training at the Peabody track with the rest of the team, then moving half a mile down the street for a few hours hoofing it at the studio Expressions in Dance.

— matt case, BostonGlobe.com, "Murphy, Gorgenyi quick out of the gate," 4 May 2018
The other one was less congenial and ended up hoofing it to safety by following the beam to the bridge's end.

— aj willingham, CNN, "Two goats make a huge mistake, get stranded on bridge," 6 Apr. 2018
Cassidy wrote that the 32 billion steps hoofed annually on the boardwalk could operate most of the appliances in a small restaurant (including the refrigerator, freezer, oven, microwave, dishwasher and air conditioner) for 320 days.

— terry gardner, latimes.com, "How travelers to California's most popular landmarks could create electricity while they walk," 20 Mar. 2018
In 2017, four of his shows — Sunset Boulevard, Cats, School of Rock and Phantom — were hoofing it on Broadway at the same time.

— jocelyn mcclurg, USA TODAY, "Weekend picks for book lovers, including Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Unmasked'," 17 Mar. 2018
But soon enough, the people of Beverly Hills were outside City Hall every Monday morning, ready to hoof it for two or three miles in the name of meeting their daily step goals, and their mayor.

— elspeth velten, Vogue, "In the World’s Most Famous Zip Code, Don't Settle for Just Any Tour Guide," 22 Jan. 2018
The ranch’s employees — including several workers who lived off the property and had to hoof it across the Santa Paula Creek to make their way to the ranch — battled the flames.

— sarah fritsche, San Francisco Chronicle, "Brokaw Ranch sustains major damage in Thomas Fire," 8 Dec. 2017
Leicester took advantage of this by hoofing a deep ball into the box, Smalling couldn't backtrack in time and allowed Maguire to ghost in at the back post to grab an equaliser with the last kick of the game.

— SI.com, "Leicester 2-2 Man Utd: Late Maguire Goal Earns 10-Man Foxes a Dramatic Draw," 23 Dec. 2017
Although Stormy hoofed it very close to I-95 near Callowhill Street, she was not injured.

— barbara boyer, Philly.com, "With Stormy the cow back at the farm, Old City's nativity goes on with Ginger the heifer," 21 Dec. 2017

First Known Use of hoof

1641

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

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HOOF Defined for English Language Learners

hoof

noun

Definition of hoof for English Language Learners

: the hard covering on the foot of an animal (such as a horse or pig)

hoof

verb

Definition of hoof for English Language Learners

: to dance as a performer

HOOF Defined for Kids

hoof

noun \ ˈhu̇f , ˈhüf \

Definition of hoof for Students

plural hooves \ˈhu̇vz, ˈhüvz\ or hoofs

1 : a covering of tough material that protects the ends of the toes of some animals (as horses, oxen, or pigs)

2 : a foot (as of a horse) covered by a hoof

—

hoofed

\ˈhu̇ft, ˈhüft\ adjective

Medical Dictionary

hoof

noun \ ˈhu̇f , ˈhüf \

medical Definition of hoof

plural hooves play \ˈhüvz, ˈhu̇vz\ 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

Illustration of hoof

Learn More about hoof

See words that rhyme with hoof Spanish Central: Translation of hoof Nglish: Translation of hoof for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of hoof for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hoof

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hoof

Definition of hoof

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Illustration of hoof

Origin and Etymology of hoof

Other Anatomy Terms

hoof

Definition of hoof

Examples of hoof in a Sentence

Recent Examples of hoof from the Web

First Known Use of hoof

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HOOF Defined for English Language Learners

hoof

Definition of hoof for English Language Learners

hoof

Definition of hoof for English Language Learners

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hoof

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hoofed

Medical Dictionary

hoof

medical Definition of hoof

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