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
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 There was a dance with a lot of feet movement and a lot of praise to God. Esther Zuckerman, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 From here, a bridged walkway hovers over a koi pond and leads to the main living spaces, which are hoisted 10 feet above the ground. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2024 Several bodycam videos show police officers ending foot chases and taking down emotionally disturbed gunmen after shots rang out by wrapping them in wires from a distance. Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 12 Mar. 2024 Heated floors to ensure your feet are warm all year round! Tj MacIas, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2024 Its one-bedroom units have 576 square feet, translating to around $3.55 per square foot. Tom Daykin, Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2024 Every room at Bancroft was flooded with, on average, a foot of water, said La Mesa-Spring Valley Superintendent David Feliciano. Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2024 This weather event, known as an atmospheric river, broke rainfall records, dumped more than a foot of rain on parts of the state, and knocked out power for 800,000 residents. Zoya Teirstein, WIRED, 17 Feb. 2024
Verb
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 Maryland’s working-class drivers are expected to foot the entirety of this bill to fund the luxury vehicles driven by their wealthier neighbors. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 2 Feb. 2024 The fire department will foot most of the bill ― around $11 million ― while the health department's share is around $1 million. Claudia Levens, Journal Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2024 Some county executives have gone to the General Assembly to advocate for changes to the state tax codes as a way to foot the Blueprint’s bill. Nicole Asbury, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2024 And as a bonus, the Nebraska Lottery would foot the taxes and registration fees for Swarthout’s new vehicle. David Chiu, Peoplemag, 26 Feb. 2024 Additionally, the suit calls into question WWE’s characterization of hush money payments from McMahon, which were initially footed by the company. Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Jan. 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 19 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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