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

walking around in bare feet

tracks made by the feet of a bird

I'm going home to put my feet up. [=to sit and relax]

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 ⅓ 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

see also:

at one's feet foot in the door off one's feet on foot on one's feet on the right foot on the wrong foot to one's feet

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

Synonyms of foot

Noun

• bottom
• base

Verb

• pay
• 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

Abreu then doubled his country’s lead two innings later with his second home run of the tournament, crushing a middle-middle fastball from United States starting pitcher Nolan McLean and sending it 414 feet to center field. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 18 Mar. 2026

After dribbling between his legs, Mark switched up and leaned to his right and let loose with a dagger jumper from 20 feet out. —Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 18 Mar. 2026

Verb

The agency, in the years since, has taken pains to culturally move away from that attitude in favor of an approach that sees STAR as a standalone response option on equal footing with police, firefighters and paramedics. —Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026

Upsizing the facility implies an intent to use it more, and the transfer fees now committed to will clearly need to be funded at some stage, but any fears of Liverpool being unable to foot those bills should be allayed. —Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026

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
• flat 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
• on the right foot
• on the right/wrong foot
• on the wrong 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

Rhymes for foot

• put
• soot
• afoot
• barefoot
• bigfoot
• blackfoot
• caput
• clubfoot
• cocksfoot
• crowfoot
• forefoot
• input

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