hoof

Meaning

Noun

1. The tip of a toe of an ungulate such as a horse, ox or deer, strengthened by a thick keratin covering.
2. (derogatory, slang) The human foot.
3. (dated) An ungula.
4. The heel of a loaf of bread.

Verb

1. To trample with hooves.
2. (colloquial) To walk.
3. (informal) To dance, especially as a professional.
4. (colloquial, transitive) To kick, especially to kick a football a long way downfield with little accuracy.

Synonyms

claw

foot

🦶

talon

fingernail

💅

toenail

nail

paw

hoof it

leg it

kick

walk

🚶

promenade

skid

sprag

trample

ungula

ungulate

brake block

clootie

brake shoe

buff

chela

cloven hoof

dance

💃

drag

footprint

👣

hoofed

hooves

leg

🦵

Translations

sabot

Huf

zoccolo

pezuña

hoef

casco

casco

💀

peülla

οπλή

ungula

sim

pezunho

unghia

uña

💅

Pronounced as (IPA)

/hʊf/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: hoof

Inherited from Old English: hōf

Cognate with Western Frisian: hoef

Cognate with Dutch: hoef

Cognate with German: Huf

Cognate with Danish: hov

Cognate with Norwegian: hov

Cognate with Swedish: hov

Cognate with Sanskrit: शफ

Cognate with Avestan: 𐬯𐬀𐬟𐬀

Cognate with Czech: -

Cognate with Polish: kopyto

In summary

From Middle English hoof, hof, from Old English hōf, from Proto-Germanic *hōfaz (compare West Frisian hoef, Dutch hoef, German Huf, Danish hov, Norwegian hov, Swedish hov), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱoph₂ós (compare Sanskrit शफ (śaphá, “hoof, claw”), Avestan 𐬯𐬀𐬟𐬀 (safa, “hoof”), possibly Czech, Polish kopyto).