Oxford Essential Dictionary
foot
noun
1 (plural feet ) the part of your leg that you stand on:
I've been walking all day and my feet hurt.
2 (plural foot or feet) (abbr. ft) a measure of length (= 30.48 centimetres). There are twelve inches in a foot:
'How tall are you?' 'Five foot six (= five feet and six inches).'
culture
In the past, people in Britain used inches, feet, yards and miles to measure distances. In the US, people still use these measurements. In Britain people now use both centimetres and metres as well as feet and inches but usually use miles instead of kilometres.
3 the lowest part of something same meaning the bottom:
She was standing at the foot of the stairs.
on foot walking:
Shall we go by car or on foot?
put your feet up to rest:
If you're tired, put your feet up and listen to some music.
put your foot down (informal) to say strongly that something must or must not happen:
My mum put her foot down when I asked if I could stay out all night.
put your foot in it (informal) to say or do something by accident that makes somebody embarrassed or upset
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
foot
I. foot1 S1 W1 /fʊt/ BrE AmE noun (plural feet /fiːt/) [countable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: fot]
1. BODY PART the part of your body that you stand on and walk on:
My foot hurts.
I had blisters on the soles of my feet.
I dropped a glass earlier, so don’t walk around in bare feet.
The vet examined the horse’s hind feet.
Don’t wipe your feet on the carpet!
She stood on the platform, her suitcase at her feet.
2. MEASUREMENT (plural feet or foot) (written abbreviation ft) a unit for measuring length, equal to 12 ↑inches or about 30 centimetres:
He’s six feet tall, with blonde hair.
Mark was standing just a few feet away from me.
I’d say she’s about five foot three (=five feet and three inches).
a one/two/three etc foot something
a four foot wall
square feet/cubic feet
15,000 square feet of office space
3. BOTTOM PART the foot of something the lowest or bottom part of something
the foot of the stairs/ladder etc
He walked to the foot of the stairs.
the foot of a mountain/cliff etc
a small cottage at the foot of the hill
at the foot of something
a large wooden trunk at the foot of his bed
The date is shown at the foot of the page.
4. on foot if you go somewhere on foot, you walk there:
It takes about 30 minutes on foot, or 10 minutes by car.
5. get/jump/rise etc to your feet to stand up after you have been sitting:
He leapt to his feet and ran outside.
6. on your feet
a) to be standing for a long time without having time to sit down:
The worst thing about working in the shop is that you’re on your feet all day. ⇨ dead on your feet at ↑dead1(8)
b) to be standing up:
As soon as the bell rang the class were on their feet and out of the door.
c) to feel better again after being ill and in bed:
We’ll soon have you on your feet again.
7. be/get back on your feet to have enough money again, or to be successful again after having problems:
I need to get back on my feet again and forget all this.
8. off your feet sitting or lying down, rather than standing or walking:
The doctor told me to stay off my feet for a few days.
9. knock/lift etc somebody off their feet to make someone fall over:
They were blown off their feet by the force of the explosion.
10. be rushed/run off your feet to be very busy:
Before Christmas, most salespeople are rushed off their feet.
11. set foot in something to go to or enter a place:
She swore she would never set foot in his house again.
12. be/get under your feet to annoy you by always being in the same place as you and preventing you from doing what you want:
I hate summer vacation. The kids are under my feet all day long.
13. put your foot down
a) to say very firmly that someone must do something or must stop doing something:
You’ll just have to put your foot down and tell him he can’t stay out on school nights.
b) informal to make a car go faster
14. put your feet up informal to relax, especially by sitting with your feet supported on something
15. put your foot in it especially British English, put your foot in your mouth especially American English to say something without thinking carefully, so that you embarrass or upset someone:
I’ve really put my foot in it this time. I didn’t realize that was her husband!
16. start/get off on the wrong/right foot to start a relationship badly or well:
Simon and I got off on the wrong foot but we’re good friends now.
17. not put a foot wrong British English to do everything right and make no mistakes, especially in your job
18. have/keep both feet on the ground to think in a sensible and practical way and not have ideas or aims that will be impossible to achieve:
It was a great result, but we have to keep our feet firmly on the ground.
19. fall/land on your feet to get into a good situation because you are lucky, especially after being in a difficult situation:
Don’t worry about Nina, she always falls on her feet.
20. get/have/keep your foot in the door to get your first opportunity to work in a particular organization or industry
21. have a foot in both camps to be involved with or connected with two opposing groups of people
22. have somebody/something at your feet used to say that people admire or respect someone very much:
All Paris was at his feet. ⇨ have the world at your feet at ↑world1(24)
23. have two left feet informal to be very ↑clumsy
24. have one foot in the grave to be very old or very ill – used humorously
25. ... my foot! British English old-fashioned used to show that you do not believe something that someone has just said:
£50 my foot! It’ll cost £200 at least.
26. leave feet first to die before you leave a place or job – used humorously:
If you keep fooling around with that gun you’ll be leaving this camp feet first.
27. feet of clay someone that you admire who has feet of clay has faults and weaknesses that you did not realize they had
28. foot soldier/patrol a soldier or group of soldiers that walks and does not use a horse or a vehicle
29. foot passenger a passenger on a ship who has not brought a car with them
30.
a) left-footed/right-footed using your left foot or right foot when you kick a ball
b) flat-footed/four-footed having a particular type or number of feet
31. foot pedal/brake/pump etc a machine or control that you operate using your feet
32. SOCK the foot the part of a sock that covers your foot
33. POETRY technical a part of a line of poetry in which there is one strong ↑beat and one or two weaker ones
⇨ the boot is on the other foot at ↑boot1(6), ⇨ get/have cold feet at ↑cold1(6), ⇨ ↑underfoot, ⇨ drag your feet/heels at ↑drag1(8), ⇨ find your feet at ↑find1(18), ⇨ from head to foot at ↑head1(1), ⇨ stand on your own (two) feet at ↑stand1(31), ⇨ sweep somebody off their feet at ↑sweep1(14), ⇨ have itchy feet at ↑itchy(3), ⇨ not let the grass grow under your feet at ↑grass1(6), ⇨ vote with your feet at ↑vote1(8)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ left foot My left foot ached a bit.
▪ right foot He has broken a bone in his right foot.
▪ front foot (=of an animal) The tiger has five claws in each of its front feet.
▪ back/hind foot (=of an animal) The horse lifted its back foot.
▪ big/small He had small neat feet.
▪ bare (=without any socks or shoes) The marble floor felt cold under his bare feet.
▪ flat (=having a medical condition in which someone’s feet rest flat on the ground, with no curved part) We’ve both got slightly flat feet.
▪ booted/sandalled feet (=wearing boots or sandals) He put down his rucksack and stretched out his booted feet.
■ verbs
▪ injure/hurt your foot Simon injured his foot while playing rugby.
▪ sb’s foot hurts She complained that her foot was hurting.
▪ raise/lift your feet He raised his foot off the floor and rested it on a chair.
▪ drag your feet (=walk slowly in an unwilling way) I was dragging my feet because I didn’t want to get there.
▪ wipe your feet (=wipe your shoes on a mat to remove dirt) Be sure to wipe your feet before coming into the house.
▪ stamp your feet (=bang them noisily on the ground) He stamped his feet in an attempt to keep warm.
▪ tap your feet (=bang them gently on the ground) She was tapping her feet in time with the music.
▪ shuffle your feet (=make small movements with them, because you are nervous or impatient) Ken shuffled his feet and looked down at the floor.
■ foot + NOUN
▪ a foot injury He suffered a foot injury during the match against Sporting Lisbon.
▪ a foot massage Would you like a foot massage?
■ phrases
▪ the sole of your foot (=the base of your foot, that you walk on) The soles of her feet were aching from the long walk.
▪ the ball of your foot (=the rounded part of your foot at the base of the toes) He has a blister on the ball of his foot.
▪ the heel of your foot (=the curved back part of your foot ) He kicked his opponent with the heel of his foot.
▪ at sb’s feet (=on the ground, near your feet) The dog was sitting at his master’s feet.
▪ in your stockinged/stocking feet (=not wearing shoes) She stood 5ft 6 inches tall in her stockinged feet.
▪ my feet are killing me informal (=my feet are hurting)
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
foot
foot [foot foots footed footing] noun, verb [fʊt] [fʊt]
noun (pl. feet [fiːt] ; [fiːt] )
PART OF BODY
1. countable the lowest part of the leg, below the ankle, on which a person or an animal stands
• My feet are aching.
• to get/rise to your feet (= stand up)
• I've been on my feet (= standing or walking around) all day.
• We came on foot (= we walked).
• Come on lads— on your feet and do some work!
• walking around the house in bare feet (= not wearing shoes or socks)
• Please wipe your feet (= your shoes) on the mat.
• Daniel was shifting anxiously from foot to foot.
• a foot pump (= operated using your foot, not your hand)
• a foot passenger (= one who travels on a ferry without a car)
see also athlete's foot, barefoot, club foot, underfoot
-FOOTED
2. (in adjectives and adverbs) having or using the type or number of foot/feet mentioned
• bare-footed
• four-footed
• a left-footed shot into the corner
see also flat-footed, sure-footed
PART OF SOCK
3. countable, usually singular the part of a sock, stocking, etc. that covers the foot
BASE/BOTTOM
4. singular the ~ of sth the lowest part of sth; the base or bottom of sth
• the foot of the stairs/page/mountain
• The nurse hung a chart at the foot of the bed (= the part of the bed where your feet normally are when you are lying in it).
MEASUREMENT
5. (pl. feet or foot)(abbr. ft) a unit for measuring length equal to 12 inches or 30.48 centimetres
• a 6-foot high wall
• We're flying at 35 000 feet.
• ‘How tall are you?’ ‘Five foot nine’ (= five feet and nine inches).
-FOOTER
6. (in compound nouns) a person or thing that is a particular number of feet tall or long
• His boat is an eighteen-footer.
• Both my brothers are six-footers.
IN POETRY
7. singular (technical) a unit of rhythm in a line of poetry containing one stressed syllable and one or more syllables without stress. Each of the four divisions in the following line is a foot
• For ˈmen / may ˈcome / and ˈmen / may ˈgo.
more at the boot is on the other foot at boot n., get/have cold feet at cold adj., drag your feet/heels at drag v., find your feet at find v., not let the grass grow under your feet at grass n., cut the ground from under sb's feet at ground n., bind/tie sb hand and foot at hand n., from head to foot/toe at head n., (get/have) itchy feet at itchy, have two left feet at left adj., the patter of tiny feet at patter n., pull the rug (out) from under sb's feet at pull v., the shoe is on the other foot at shoe n., shoot yourself in the foot at shoot v., sit at sb's feet at sit, in your stocking(ed) feet at stocking, sweep sb off their feet at sweep v., think on your feet at think v., vote with your feet at vote v., wait on sb hand and foot at wait v., walk sb off their feet at walk v., take the weight off your feet at weight n., have the world at your feet at world
Word Origin:
Old English fōt, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch voet and German Fuss, from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit pad, pāda, Greek pous, pod-, and Latin pes, ped- ‘foot’.
Collocations:
Physical appearance
A person may be described as having:
Eyes
(bright) blue/green/(dark/light) brown/hazel eyes
deep-set/sunken/bulging/protruding eyes
small/beady/sparkling/twinkling/(informal) shifty eyes
piercing/penetrating/steely eyes
bloodshot/watery/puffy eyes
bushy/thick/dark/raised/arched eyebrows
long/dark/thick/curly/false eyelashes/lashes
Face
a flat/bulbous/pointed/sharp/snub nose
a straight/a hooked/a Roman/(formal) an aquiline nose
full/thick/thin/pouty lips
dry/chapped/cracked lips
flushed/rosy/red/ruddy/pale cheeks
soft/chubby/sunken cheeks
white/perfect/crooked/protruding teeth
a large/high/broad/wide/sloping forehead
a strong/weak/pointed/double chin
a long/full/bushy/wispy/goatee beard
a long/thin/bushy/droopy/handlebar/pencil moustache/ (especially US) mustache
Hair and skin
pale/fair/olive/dark/tanned skin
dry/oily/smooth/rough/leathery/wrinkled skin
a dark/pale/light/sallow/ruddy/olive/swarthy/clear complexion
deep/fine/little/facial wrinkles
blonde/blond/fair/(light/dark) brown/(jet-)black/auburn/red/(BrE) ginger/grey hair
straight/curly/wavy/frizzy/spiky hair
thick/thin/fine/bushy/thinning hair
dyed/bleached/soft/silky/dry/greasy/shiny hair
long/short/shoulder-length/cropped hair
a bald/balding/shaved head
a receding hairline
a bald patch/spot
a side/centre/(US) center (BrE) parting/ (NAmE) part
Body
a long/short/thick/slender/(disapproving) scrawny neck
broad/narrow/sloping/rounded/hunched shoulders
a bare/broad/muscular/small/large chest
a flat/swollen/bulging stomach
a small/tiny/narrow/slim/slender/28-inch waist
big/wide/narrow/slim hips
a straight/bent/arched/broad/hairy back
thin/slender/muscular arms
big/large/small/manicured/calloused/gloved hands
long/short/fat/slender/delicate/bony fingers
long/muscular/hairy/shapely/(both informal, often disapproving) skinny/spindly legs
muscular/chubby/(informal, disapproving) flabby thighs
big/little/small/dainty/wide/narrow/bare feet
a good/a slim/a slender/an hourglass figure
be of slim/medium/average/large/athletic/stocky build
Synonyms:
bottom
base • foundation • foot
These are all words for the lowest part of sth.
bottom • [usually sing.] the lowest part of sth: ▪ Footnotes are given at the bottom of each page. ◊ ▪ I waited for them at the bottom of the hill.
base • [usually sing.] the lowest part of sth, especially the part or surface on which it rests or stands: ▪ The lamp has a heavy base.
foundation • [usually pl.] a layer of bricks, concrete, etc. that forms the solid underground base of a building: ▪ to ▪ lay the foundations ▪ of the new school
foot • [sing.] the lowest part of sth: ▪ At the foot of the stairs she turned to face him.
bottom or foot?
Foot is used to talk about a limited number of things: it is used most often with tree, hill/mountain, steps/stairs and page. Bottom can be used to talk about a much wider range of things, including those mentioned above for foot. Foot is generally used in more literary contexts.
at/near/towards the bottom/base/foot of sth
on the bottom/base of sth
(a) firm/solid/strong base/foundation(s)
Synonyms:
stand
get up • stand up • rise • get to your feet • be on your feet
These words all mean to be in an upright position with your weight on your feet, or to put yourself in this position.
stand • to be in an upright position with your weight on your feet: ▪ She was too weak to stand. ◊ ▪ Stand still ▪ when I'm talking to you!
Stand is usually used with an adverb or prepositional phrase to show where or how sb stands, but sometimes another phrase or clause is used to show what sb does while they are standing: ▪ We stood talking for a few minutes. ◊ ▪ He stood and looked out to sea.
get up • to get into a standing position from a sitting, kneeling or lying position: ▪ Please don't get up!
stand up • to be in a standing position; to stand after sitting: ▪ Stand up straight! ◊ ▪ Everyone would stand up when the teacher entered the classroom.
stand, get up or stand up?
Stand usually means ‘to be in a standing position’ but can also mean ‘to get into a standing position’. Stand up can be used with either of these meanings, but its use is more restricted: it is used especially when sb tells sb or a group of people to stand. Get up is the most frequent way of saying ‘get into a standing position’, and this can be from a sitting, kneeling or lying position; if you stand up, this is nearly always after sitting, especially on a chair. If you want to tell sb politely that they do not need to move from their chair, use get up: Please don't stand up!
rise • (formal) to get into a standing position from a sitting, kneeling or lying position: ▪ Would you all rise, please, to welcome our visiting speaker.
get to your feet • to stand up after sitting, kneeling or lying: ▪ I helped her to get to her feet.
be on your feet • to be standing up: ▪ I've been on my feet all day.
Example Bank:
• Foot passengers were allowed to leave the ferry before the vehicles.
• He raised his foot off the accelerator pedal.
• He shifted his weight onto his back foot.
• He swung a foot at the ball but missed completely.
• He's broken several bones in his left foot.
• His foot caught in the cable and he fell under the train.
• My foot slipped as I was about to shoot and I missed the ball.
• She kicked the ball with her right foot.
• She put her foot down on the accelerator and the car lurched forward.
• She was dressed from head to foot in green velvet.
• She was tapping her foot impatiently.
• That man trod on my foot and he didn't even apologize.
• The city is best explored on foot.
• They looked unsure and shifted uneasily from foot to foot.
• soldiers on foot patrol
• At the foot of the stairs she turned to face him.
Idioms: fall on your feet ▪ feet first ▪ foot the bill ▪ get a foot in the door ▪ get off on the right foot ▪ get your feet wet ▪ have a foot in both camps ▪ have feet of clay ▪ have one foot in the grave ▪ have your feet on the ground ▪ on your feet ▪ put a foot wrong ▪ put your best foot forward ▪ put your feet up ▪ put your foot down ▪ put your foot in it ▪ run off your feet ▪ set foot in something ▪ set somebody on its feet ▪ stand on your own feet ▪ under your feet ▪ … my foot!
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
foot / fʊt / noun (BODY PART)
A1 [ C ] ( plural feet ) the part of the body at the bottom of the leg on which a person or animal stands:
I've got a blister on my left foot.
I've been on my feet (= standing) all day and I'm exhausted.
informal You look tired. Why don't you put your feet up (= sit or lie down with your feet resting on something) ?
Please wipe your feet (= clean the bottom of your shoes) before you come into the house.
See picture foot
get/rise to your feet C2 to stand up after you have been sitting:
He rose to his feet when she walked in.
on foot A2 walking:
Are you going by bicycle or on foot?
foot / fʊt / noun [ C ] ( plural feet or foot ) ( written abbreviation ft ) (MEASUREMENT)
B1 a unit of measurement, equal to twelve inches or 0.3048 metres, sometimes shown by the symbol ′:
The man was standing only a few feet away.
She is five feet/foot three inches tall.
She is 5′ 3″ tall.
foot / fʊt / noun [ S ] (BOTTOM)
C1 the bottom or lower end of a space or object:
They built a house at the foot of a cliff.
She dreamed she saw someone standing at the foot of her bed.
There's a note to that effect at the foot of the page.
foot / fʊt / noun [ C ] ( plural feet ) specialized (POETRY)
a unit of division of a line of poetry containing one strong beat and one or two weaker ones
© Cambridge University Press 2013
Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
foot
/fʊt/
(feet)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
Your feet are the parts of your body that are at the ends of your legs, and that you stand on.
She stamped her foot again.
...a foot injury.
...his aching arms and sore feet.
N-COUNT
• -footed
She was bare-footed.
...pink-footed geese.
COMB in ADJ
2.
The foot of something is the part that is farthest from its top.
David called to the children from the foot of the stairs...
A single word at the foot of a page caught her eye.
= bottom
≠ head, top
N-SING: usu the N of n
3.
The foot of a bed is the end nearest to the feet of the person lying in it.
Friends stood at the foot of the bed, looking at her with serious faces.
≠ head
N-SING: usu the N of n
4.
A foot is a unit for measuring length, height, or depth, and is equal to 12 inches or 30.48 centimetres. When you are giving measurements, the form ‘foot’ is often used as the plural instead of the plural form ‘feet’.
This beautiful and curiously shaped lake lies at around fifteen thousand feet...
He occupies a cell 10 foot long, 6 foot wide and 10 foot high...
I have to give my height in feet and inches.
N-COUNT: usu num N, oft num N adj
5.
A foot brake or foot pump is operated by your foot rather than by your hand.
I tried to reach the foot brakes but I couldn’t.
ADJ: ADJ n
6.
A foot patrol or foot soldiers walk rather than travelling in vehicles or on horseback.
Paratroopers and foot-soldiers entered the building on the government’s behalf.
ADJ: ADJ n
7.
see also footing
8.
If you get cold feet about something, you become nervous or frightened about it because you think it will fail.
The Government is getting cold feet about the reforms.
PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR about n
9.
If you say that someone is finding their feet in a new situation, you mean that they are starting to feel confident and to deal with things successfully.
I don’t know anyone in England but I am sure I will manage when I find my feet...
PHRASE: V inflects
10.
If you say that someone has their feet on the ground, you approve of the fact that they have a sensible and practical attitude towards life, and do not have unrealistic ideas.
In that respect he needs to keep his feet on the ground and not get carried away...
Kevin was always level-headed with both feet on the ground.
PHRASE: usu v PHR [approval]
11.
If you go somewhere on foot, you walk, rather than using any form of transport.
We rowed ashore, then explored the island on foot for the rest of the day.
PHRASE
12.
If you are on your feet, you are standing up.
Everyone was on their feet applauding wildly.
PHRASE: usu v-link PHR
13.
If you say that someone or something is on their feet again after an illness or difficult period, you mean that they have recovered and are back to normal.
He said they all needed to work together to put the country on its feet again.
PHRASE: v-link PHR, PHR after v
14.
If you say that someone always falls or lands on their feet, you mean that they are always successful or lucky, although they do not seem to achieve this by their own efforts.
He has good looks and charm, and always falls on his feet...
PHRASE: V inflects
15.
If you say that someone has one foot in the grave, you mean that they are very old or very ill and will probably die soon. (INFORMAL)
PHRASE: V inflects
16.
If you say, in British English, the boot is on the other foot or, mainly in American English, the shoe is on the other foot, you mean that a situation has been reversed completely, so that the person who was in the better position before is now in the worse one.
You’re not in a position to remove me. The boot is now on the other foot.
PHRASE: V inflects
17.
If someone puts their foot down, they use their authority in order to stop something happening.
He had planned to go skiing on his own in March but his wife had decided to put her foot down.
PHRASE: V inflects
18.
If someone puts their foot down when they are driving, they drive as fast as they can.
I asked the driver to put his foot down for Nagchukha.
PHRASE: V inflects
19.
If someone puts their foot in it or puts their foot in their mouth, they accidentally do or say something which embarrasses or offends people. (INFORMAL)
Our chairman has really put his foot in it, poor man, though he doesn’t know it.
PHRASE: V inflects
20.
If you put your feet up, you relax or have a rest, especially by sitting or lying with your feet supported off the ground.
After supper he’d put his feet up and read. It was a pleasant prospect.
= rest
PHRASE: V inflects
21.
If you never put a foot wrong, you never make any mistakes.
When he’s around, we never put a foot wrong...
PHRASE: V inflects, with brd-neg
22.
If you say that someone sets foot in a place, you mean that they enter it or reach it, and you are emphasizing the significance of their action. If you say that someone never sets foot in a place, you are emphasizing that they never go there.
...the day the first man set foot on the moon...
A little later I left that place and never set foot in Texas again.
PHRASE: V inflects, oft with brd-neg [emphasis]
23.
If someone has to stand on their own two feet, they have to be independent and manage their lives without help from other people.
My father didn’t mind whom I married, so long as I could stand on my own two feet and wasn’t dependent on my husband.
PHRASE: V inflects
24.
If you get or rise to your feet, you stand up.
Malone got to his feet and followed his superior out of the suite...
He sprang to his feet and ran outside.
PHRASE: v PHR
25.
If someone gets off on the wrong foot in a new situation, they make a bad start by doing something in completely the wrong way.
Even though they called the election and had been preparing for it for some time, they got off on the wrong foot.
PHRASE: V inflects
26.
to foot the bill: see bill
foot in the door: see door
drag your feet: see drag
to vote with your feet: see vote
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
1foot /ˈfʊt/ noun, pl feet /ˈfiːt/
1 [count] : the part of the leg on which an animal or person stands and moves : the part of the leg below the ankle
• He was wearing boots on his feet.
• tracks made by the feet of a bird
• standing on one foot
• The people in the crowd began to stamp their feet.
• She was walking around the house in (her) bare feet. [=she was not wearing any shoes or socks]
• She was in her stockinged/stocking feet. [=she was wearing socks but no shoes]
• It's a long hike, but we'll get there if we just keep putting one foot in front of the other. [=if we just keep walking]
• Wipe your feet [=rub the bottoms of your shoes on the doormat] when you come in.
- often used before another noun
• a foot pump [=a pump that is operated by being pressed with the foot]
• a foot brake
• an area that gets a lot of foot traffic [=an area where many people walk]
- see also athlete's foot, clubfoot, cold feet, flat foot
2 pl also foot [count] : a unit of measurement equal to {frac1/3} yard (0.3048 meter) or 12 inches
• a 10-foot pole = a pole 10 feet long
• He's six feet tall.
• He's six feet, three inches tall. = He's six foot three.
• a plant that grows three feet tall = a three-foot-tall plant
3 [singular]
a : the lowest part of something : bottom
• They camped at the foot of the mountain.
• at the foot of the stairs
b : the end of something that is opposite to the end that is called the head
• the foot of the bed [=the end where your feet are when you are lying on the bed]
• the foot of the table
4 [count] : a basic unit of rhythm in a line of poetry made up of a group of syllables that are accented in a certain way
• Each line of the poem has five feet.
at someone's feet : close to someone's feet
• His dog was lying at his feet.
- sometimes used figuratively
• He was young and fearless, and he felt the world was at his feet. [=felt that he could do great things in the world]
• She claimed that men fell at her feet. [=that men often fell in love with her]
be run/rushed off your feet Brit : to be very busy
• We are run off our feet trying to fill orders.
drag your feet
- see 1drag
feet of clay
✦A person who was admired in the past but who has serious faults or flaws can be described as having feet of clay.
• a former political leader who turned out to have feet of clay
find your feet : to start to be comfortable in a new situation : to begin to be confident or successful
• They quickly found their feet in their adopted country.
• I was away for a long time, so it will take me a while to find my feet again.
get/start off on the right foot : to begin a relationship well
• I want to get off on the right foot with your parents.
get/start off on the wrong foot : to begin a relationship badly
• They got off on the wrong foot when they first met and they've disliked each other ever since.
get your feet wet
- see 1wet
get your foot in the door : to make the first step toward a goal by gaining entry into an organization, a career, etc.
• He took a job as a secretary to get his foot in the door.
hand and foot
- see 1hand
have one foot in the grave : to be close to dying because of old age or illness
have/keep your feet on the ground : to be a sensible and practical person
• Even after she became famous, she always kept her feet on the ground.
let the grass grow under your feet
- see 1grass
light on your feet
- see 4light
my foot informal + somewhat old-fashioned
- used to express surprise or disagreement
• Fair, my foot! That contest wasn't fair!
off your feet : not in a standing position : in or into a sitting or lying position
• The blow knocked me off my feet.
• The doctor suggested that he stay off his feet [=that he avoid standing and walking] as much as possible.
on foot : by walking
• The refugees traveled on foot.
on your feet
1 : in a standing position
• I've been on my feet all day.
• He jumped over the wall and landed on his feet.
• They say that no matter how a cat falls, it always manages to land on its feet.
• By the end of the day the workers were dead on their feet. [=very tired but still standing, working, etc.]
✦In figurative use, to land on your feet or Brit fall on your feet is to be lucky and be in good condition or in a good situation after having a bad or difficult experience.
• He lost his job but landed on his feet when he was hired by another company just a few days later.
2 : in a good position or condition
• The business is finally/back on its feet.
3 : in a healthy condition after an illness or injury
• She should be out of the hospital and (back) on her feet again in a couple of weeks.
4 : quickly and while actively doing something
• Good debaters can think on their feet.
put a foot wrong : to make a mistake
• He never put a foot wrong during the campaign.
put your best foot forward
1 US : to behave very well so that someone will like you and approve of you
• When I visited my girlfriend's parents I tried to be very polite and put my best foot forward.
2 Brit : to try as hard as possible to do something difficult
• I've got to put my best foot forward [=do my best] to meet this deadline.
put your feet up informal : to sit and relax : to not work or be active
• I'm going to go home and put my feet up.
put your foot down
1 : to deal with someone in a harsh or strict way
• When my son broke his curfew for the third time, I knew it was time to put my foot down.
2 Brit : to make a car go faster
put your foot in your mouth chiefly US or put your foot in it informal : to say something that causes someone to be embarrassed, upset, or hurt especially when you did not expect that reaction
• I really put my foot in it when I asked her about her job. I didn't know she'd just been fired.
set foot in : to enter (a place)
• That was the last time she ever set foot in this house.
set foot on : to walk on (something)
• Neil Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the surface of the moon.
shoot yourself in the foot
- see 1shoot
stand on your own two feet : to support yourself without help from other people
• You can't live with your parents forever. It's time to get a place of your own and learn to stand on your own two feet.
sweep (someone) off his/her feet
- see 1sweep
the shoe is on the other foot or Brit the boot is on the other foot
- used to say that a situation has changed to the opposite of what it was before
• I used to boss my little sister around. Now the shoe is on the other foot. [=now she bosses me around]
• The shoe is on the other foot and he is the one asking for help this time.
to your feet : to a standing position
• I got/rose to my feet [=I stood up] and left.
• His inspirational speech brought the crowd to its feet.
• Everyone in the courtroom came to their feet when the judge entered.
two left feet
✦A person who dances badly can be described as having two left feet.
• My wife is a good dancer, but I've got two left feet.
under your feet chiefly Brit : in the way : underfoot
• I can't get any work done with those kids under my feet.
vote with your feet
- see 1vote