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
plural hooves
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
Synonyms
Examples of hoof in a Sentence
Verb
The cast was hoofing on the stage.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
In addition to damage to their hooves and eyes, many of the cattle are also suffering from smoke inhalation which can cause fatal pneumonia, Meier said.
—Camila Bernal, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024
Archaeological evidence suggests that these trade butchers each had highly specific roles, some dealt solely in bone marrow, others in hooves.
—Olivia Potts, Longreads, 15 Feb. 2024
Fawns always have smaller hooves than mature adults, for example.
—Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 7 Feb. 2024
Animals’ hoofs often sink into saturated ground while members of the sanctuary’s staff undertake flood mitigation efforts, installing culvert pipes and curtain drains, among other tactics, to no avail.
—Hilary Howard, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024
Just think of the opening scene where clapping horse hooves merge with the delicate strum of a banjo.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 25 Dec. 2023
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
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
Noun
But Forte was scratched the day of the 2023 Kentucky Derby with a stone bruise on the bottom of his hoof.
—Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
In addition to damage to their hooves and eyes, many of the cattle are also suffering from smoke inhalation which can cause fatal pneumonia, Meier said.
—Camila Bernal, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024
Archaeological evidence suggests that these trade butchers each had highly specific roles, some dealt solely in bone marrow, others in hooves.
—Olivia Potts, Longreads, 15 Feb. 2024
Fawns always have smaller hooves than mature adults, for example.
—Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 7 Feb. 2024
Animals’ hoofs often sink into saturated ground while members of the sanctuary’s staff undertake flood mitigation efforts, installing culvert pipes and curtain drains, among other tactics, to no avail.
—Hilary Howard, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024
Just think of the opening scene where clapping horse hooves merge with the delicate strum of a banjo.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 25 Dec. 2023
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
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.
Dictionary Entries Near hoof
Cite this Entry
“Hoof.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoof. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
plural hooves
ˈhu̇vz
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
adjective
ˈhu̇ft
ˈhüft
ˈhu̇vd
ˈhüvd
hoof
2 of 2 verb1
: 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
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