hoof

3 synonyms for hoof, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — The hard covering on the foot of animals such as horses, cattle, and deer.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

foot

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

leg it hoof it

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

The hard covering on the foot of animals such as horses, cattle, and deer.

“The horse's hoof needed to be trimmed by the farrier.”

foot leg it hoof it

2. verb

Informal: to walk, especially over some distance.

“We had to hoof it three miles back to the car.”

foot

How to use hoof

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

hoof it horse's hoof cloven hoof

Etymology

From Old English hōf, an ancient Germanic word for the same body part, related to similar words across Indo-European languages for "hoof" or "claw."

Full origin of hoof →

Frequently asked questions

What does “hoof” mean?

The word “hoof” means the hard covering on the foot of animals such as horses, cattle, and deer. In plain terms, the tough foot-covering of horses and similar animals; informally, to walk somewhere.

How do you pronounce “hoof”?

“Hoof” is pronounced huuf (/hʊf/ in IPA).

How do you use “hoof” in a sentence?

Here is “hoof” used in a sentence: “The horse's hoof needed to be trimmed by the farrier.”

What part of speech is “hoof”?

Depending on how it is used, “hoof” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “hoof” come from?

The word “hoof” comes from Old English. From Old English hōf, an ancient Germanic word for the same body part, related to similar words across Indo-European languages for "hoof" or "claw.".

How many meanings does “hoof” have?

“Hoof” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the hard covering on the foot of animals such as horses, cattle, and deer.

Related words

hoofed

People also searched

foot

Nearby words

← Back to the full definition of hoof