foot

1 of 2

noun

plural feet ˈfēt How to pronounce foot (audio) 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

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
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 Inside, eight bedrooms and 10 baths are filtered across a little more than 11,300 square feet of two-level living space adorned throughout with blonde hardwood floors, high ceilings inset with wood panels and sliding glass doors providing seamless indoor-outdoor environs. Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 25 Mar. 2024 The largest octagonal home in the United States, Longwood spans six stories and 30,000 square feet and is topped with a stately dome. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 25 Mar. 2024 The poles are anchored sixteen feet into the water bed and extend several feet above the surface; the floating concrete foundation is fastened to the poles with rings. Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024 The wreck of the steamship Milwaukee, which sank after colliding with another vessel in 1886, was found 360 feet below the water's surface, explorers from the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association (MSRA) said this weekend. Stephen Smith, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2024 The stone Tudor mansion has six bedrooms, four baths and close to 5,000 square feet. Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2024 In an intriguing twist on the title, the cover art features the singer in the water, just feet away from a shark. Jem Aswad, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024
Verb
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 Stronach’s appetite to foot that kind of bill is largely unknown. Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 2024 But for years, the city offered developers generous discounts to incentivize new construction, often leaving future homeowners and businesses to foot much of the bill. Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2024 If that weren’t enough, long stretches of compact, cluttered areas and uneven surface areas throughout the facility make stable footing a necessity. Popular Science, 6 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'foot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of foot was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near foot

Cite this Entry

“Foot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foot. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

foot

1 of 2 noun
plural feet ˈfēt How to pronounce foot (audio) 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
2
a
: to add up
b
: to pay or provide for paying
foot the bill

Medical Definition

foot

noun
plural feet ˈfēt How to pronounce foot (audio) 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

More from Merriam-Webster on foot

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