hoof
noun
\ ˈhu̇f
, ˈhüf
\
, ˈhüf
\
plural hooves\ ˈhüvz
, ˈhu̇vz \
also hoofs
, ˈhu̇vz \
also hoofs
Definition of hoof
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: a curved covering of horn that protects the front of or encloses the ends of the digits of an ungulate mammal and that corresponds to a nail or claw
2
: a hoofed foot especially of a horse
on the hoof
of a meat animal
: before butchering : living
90¢ a pound on the hoof
hoof
verb
hoofed;
hoofing;
hoofs
Definition of hoof (Entry 2 of 2)
: to move on the feet
especially
: dance
Illustration of hoof
Noun
hoof 2: 1, 2, 3, 4 parts of wall (1 toe, 2 side walls, 3 quarters, 4 buttresses), 5 bulbs, 6 sole, 7 frog
In the meaning defined above
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Examples of hoof in a Sentence
Verb
The cast was hoofing on the stage.Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Among them are a terrific pair of life-size young athletes poised to begin a footrace; two columnar water nymphs identified as the work of Stephanos, a Greek sculptor in Rome; and a leaping month-old piglet, poised on rear hooves. — Christopher Knight, latimes.com, "Review: Getty Villa’s ‘Buried by Vesuvius’ is exquisite and, at times, explicit," 3 July 2019 No hoof-shake with the President, second-place horsey loser! — Jason Gay, WSJ, "Trump vs. the Horses: Derby Debate Goes Presidential," 6 May 2019 Blisters around the hooves can also present mobility issues. — Trevor Reid, The Denver Post, "Virus affecting cattle, horses reported in Weld more than any other U.S. county," 15 July 2019 LAMINITIS Laminae are the fibrous tissues that attach the hoof to the leg. — Jeff Goertzen, The Mercury News, "The truth about horse racing deaths," 30 June 2019 In this leaderless movement, decisions are made collectively on the hoof, or by emotional fiat of the moment. — The Economist, "Hong Kong protesters storm the legislative council," 30 June 2019 Note: Global Campaign was part of the original starting field but was scratched Wednesday after a chronic hoof injury failed to respond to treatment. — Bob Roberts, cleveland.com, "Preakness placer Owendale favored in 2019 Ohio Derby," 20 June 2019 The pounding of the soil by the hooves of livestock in ranching, for example, may degrade the soil and encourage erosion by wind and water. — Christina Nunez, National Geographic, "Deserts, explained," 12 June 2019 Several of the famed ponies picked up the infection in their hooves and legs, likely after stepping in contaminated wetlands on Assateague Island. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "A Deadly 'Swamp Cancer' Has Killed Seven of the Famous Chincoteague Wild Ponies," 11 Jan. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Mr Spooner was hoofed out in May, replaced by Liberal Democrat leadership. — The Economist, "A rebellion against house-building spells trouble for the Tories," 17 Aug. 2019 The most compelling explanation is that high-quality games involve teams who are good at retaining possession, and low-quality ones feature those who spend most of the time hoofing the ball in the air and tackling each other. — Fox News, "French mayor dies after trying to stop illegal dumping: report," 8 Aug. 2019 Locals regularly hoof it along the Mount Iron Track, a 547-foot climb that rewards efforts with 360-degree views of the town and Lake Wanaka. — Carrie Miller, National Geographic, "Here’s where to find epic adventures in New Zealand," 8 July 2019 Her set ends at 4:15, so hoof it afterward to Earle, and stick that one out until the end. — Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "The 5 worst scheduling conflicts at Summerfest 2019 in Milwaukee, and which shows you should pick," 24 June 2019 The most compelling explanation is that high-quality games involve teams who are good at retaining possession, and low-quality ones feature those who spend most of the time hoofing the ball in the air and tackling each other. — M.s., The Economist, "Women’s football is flourishing, on the pitch and off it," 24 June 2019 On parade day, between road closures and traffic, your best bet is to hoof it a little. — Adam Lukach, RedEye Chicago, "Your questions about Chicago Pride Fest and the Chicago Pride Parade, answered," 12 June 2018 The opposite of taking a walk on the wild side might be to hoof it across the 500 or so reflective, slow-going miles that form the Camino de Santiago, the renowned medieval Catholic pilgrimage route that spans northern Spain. — Gary Goldstein, latimes.com, "'Strangers on the Earth' doc inspires as it captures musician's sacred trek," 31 May 2018 Often, her daily after-school schedule consists of a couple of hours of training at the Peabody track with the rest of the team, then moving half a mile down the street for a few hours hoofing it at the studio Expressions in Dance. — Matt Case, BostonGlobe.com, "Murphy, Gorgenyi quick out of the gate," 4 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hoof.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for hoof
hoof
noun
English Language Learners Definition of hoof
(Entry 1 of 2)
: the hard covering on the foot of an animal (such as a horse or pig)
hoof
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of hoof (Entry 2 of 2)
US, informal
: to dance as a performer
See the full definition for hoof in the English Language Learners Dictionary
hoof
noun
\ ˈhu̇f
, ˈhüf\
, ˈhüf\
plural hooves\ ˈhu̇vz , ˈhüvz \
or hoofs
Kids Definition of hoof
1
: a covering of tough material that protects the ends of the toes of some animals (as horses, oxen, or pigs)
2
: a foot (as of a horse) covered by a hoof
hoof
noun