shoe

 
Pronunciation: /ʃuː/

noun

  • 1a covering for the foot, typically made of leather, having a sturdy sole and not reaching above the ankle.
  • a horseshoe.
  • 2something resembling a shoe in shape or use, in particular:
  • a drag for a wheel.
  • short for brake shoe
  • a socket, especially on a camera, for fitting a flash unit or other accessory: an accessory shoe
  • a metal rim or ferrule, especially on the runner of a sledge.
  • a step for a mast.
  • a box from which cards are dealt in casinos at baccarat or some other card games.

verb (shoes, shoeing; past and past participle shod /ʃɒd/)

  • 1 [with object] fit (a horse) with a shoe or shoes: they are waiting to have their horses shod
  • (be shod) be wearing shoes of a specified kind: his large feet were shod in trainers
  • 2protect (the end of an object such as a pole) with a metal shoe: the four wooden baulks were each shod with heavy iron heads
  • fit a tyre to (a wheel): its 14-inch wheels were shod with 175/65 tyres

Phrases

be (or put oneself) in another person's shoes

be (or put oneself) in another person’s situation or predicament: if I’d been in your shoes I’d have walked out on him

dead men's shoes

property or a position coveted by a prospective successor but available only on a person’s death: he had fallen into an estate by a series of dead men’s shoes

if the shoe fits, wear it

North Americansee if the cap fits, wear it (at cap1)

shoe leather

informal used in reference to the wear on shoes through walking: you can save on shoe leather by giving us your instructions over the telephone

wait for the other shoe to drop

North American informal be prepared for a further or consequential event or complication to occur.

Derivatives

shoeless

adjective

Origin:

Old English scōh (noun), scōg(e)an (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch schoen and German Schuh