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hoof

Syllabification: (hoof)
Pronunciation: /ho͝of, ho͞of/

Translate hoof | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of hoof

noun (plural hoofs or hooves /ho͝ovz, ho͞ovz/)

  • the horny part of the foot of an ungulate animal, especially a horse:there was a clatter of hoofs as a rider came up to them

verb

[with object] informal
  • (hoof it) go on foot:it was awfully hot, but we hoofed it all the way back
  • dance:we hoof it reasonably fancily, and no one guffaws

Phrases

on the hoof

  • 1(of livestock) not yet slaughtered.
  • 2 informal without great thought or preparation:policy was made on the hoof

Derivatives

hoofed

adjective

Origin:

Old English hōf, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hoef and German Huf

The plural of hoof can be spelled either hoofs or hooves: both are correct.

hoof in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of hoof in the British & World English dictionary

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