Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense toes, present participle toeing, past tense, past participle toed
1. countable noun [usually plural]
Your toes are the five movable parts at the end of each foot.
2. countable noun
The toe of a shoe or sock is the part that covers the end of your foot.
3.
See to dip your toes
4.
See keep someone on their toes
5.
See toe the line
6.
See to tread on someone's toes
toe in British English
(təʊ)
noun
1.
any one of the digits of the foot
2.
the corresponding part in other vertebrates
3.
the part of a shoe, sock, etc, covering the toes
4.
anything resembling a toe in shape or position
5.
the front part of the head of a golf club, hockey stick, etc
6.
the lower bearing of a vertical shaft assembly
7.
the tip of a cam follower that engages the cam profile
8. Australian slang
speed
a player with plenty of toe
9. dip one's toe in
10. on one's toes
11. tread on someone's toes
12. turn up one's toes
verbWord forms: toes, toeing or toed
13. (transitive)
to touch, kick, or mark with the toe
14. (transitive) golf
to strike (the ball) with the toe of the club
15. (transitive)
to drive (a nail, spike, etc) obliquely
16. (intransitive)
to walk with the toes pointing in a specified direction
to toe inwards
17. toe the line
Derived forms
toelike (ˈtoeˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
Old English tā; related to Old Frisian tāne, Old Norse tā, Old High German zēha, Latin digitus finger
toe in American English
(toʊ)
noun
1.
a.
any of the five jointed parts at the front of the human foot; digit
b.
the forepart of the human foot
c.
the part of a shoe, sock, etc. that covers the toes
2.
any of the digits of an animal's foot, or the forepart of a hoof, etc.
3.
anything suggesting a toe in location, shape, or function
; specif.,
a.
a pivot or journal extending vertically in a bearing
b.
a projecting arm raised or moved by a cam
verb transitiveWord forms: toed or ˈtoeing
4.
to provide with a toe or toes
5.
to touch, kick, etc. with the toes
to toe a starting line
6. Carpentry
a.
to drive (a nail) slantingly
b.
to clinch or fasten with nails driven slantingly; toenail
verb intransitive
7. US
to stand, walk, or be formed so that the toes are in a specified position
to toe in or toe out
Idioms:
on one's toes
step on someone's toes
toe the line
Word origin
ME to < OE ta, earlier tahe, akin to Ger zehe < IE base *dei-, to show > teach, L dicere, to say, digitus
More idioms containing
toe
from head to toe
toe the line
dip your toe in the water
go toe to toe with someone
from top to toe
Examples of 'toe' in a sentence
toe
You go on the toe of one foot and then turn your knee inwards so your leg looks weird.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It's in your face and head to toe.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
So, ditch those dowdy greys and dip a toe in the new blues.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It's been two years now of dipping my toe into the pronoun pond.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I am touching my toes for the first time in ages.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
After a minute of muffled screams she emerged washed and dried from head to toe, a hygienic shade of blue.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I'm definitely finding it easier to touch my toes.
The Sun (2016)
Not one surgical scar between head and toe is to be permitted.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
With the correct lie the toe end of the club should be just off the ground.
Lewis, Beverly Winning Golf for Women (1993)
He has come a long way since first dipping a toe in the pool.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Why do you want to touch your toes?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The tiny pink sole came complete with five little toes.
The Sun (2009)
They also pulled out teeth with pliers and cut off fingers and toes.
The Sun (2013)
The lack of back means you need to grip the shoe with your toes.
The Sun (2010)
Other times we need to stick our toes in.
Bethune, Helen Positive Parent Power (1991)
Dressed head to toe in yellow she looked the spitting image of the cute character.
The Sun (2016)
Kept on his toes near the end.
The Sun (2012)
Then swing left leg forward and touch toe with left hand.
The Sun (2009)
It can also make your fingers and toes turn blue.
The Sun (2014)
I'VE got cracking and itching between my toes on one foot.
The Sun (2011)
Next must be a trim of those toe nails and a good all-round pedicure.
The Sun (2009)
The Finnish toe wave became part of family folklore and we vowed to go back for more.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
You wouldn't want to dip your toe in any rock pool this crab was in.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It was clearly a man's toe nail.
The Sun (2012)
Instead of five toes on each foot, he had two.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In other languages
toe
British English: toe /təʊ/ NOUN
Your toes are the five movable parts at the end of each foot.
She wiggled her toes in the sand.
American English: toe
Arabic: إصْبَعُ القَدَم
Brazilian Portuguese: dedo do pé
Chinese: 脚指头
Croatian: nožni prst
Czech: prst u nohy
Danish: tå
Dutch: teen
European Spanish: dedo del pie
Finnish: varvas
French: doigt de pied
German: Zeh
Greek: δάχτυλο ποδιού
Italian: dito del piede
Japanese: 足の指
Korean: 발가락
Norwegian: tå
Polish: palec u nogi
European Portuguese: dedo do pé
Romanian: deget de la picior
Russian: палец ноги
Latin American Spanish: dedo del pie
Swedish: tå
Thai: นิ้วเท้า
Turkish: ayak parmağı
Ukrainian: палець ноги
Vietnamese: ngón chân
All related terms of 'toe'
toe-in
a slight forward convergence given to the wheels of motor vehicles to improve steering and equalize tyre wear
big toe
Your big toe is the largest toe on your foot.
toe-out
Toe-out describes the setting of a pair of wheels on an axle in which the edge of each wheel is inclined slightly outward .
camel toe
the visual effect created when a woman's trousers cling too tightly to the crotch , emphasizing the shape of the pudenda
tippy-toe
→ tiptoe
toe clip
a metal attachment to the front upper edge of a bicycle pedal that encloses the front of the cyclist's foot. A toe clip both holds the foot in place and drags the pedal up with the foot, imparting extra effort to the machine with each rotation
toe crack
a sand crack occurring on the forepart of the hind foot of a horse
toe dance
a dance performed on tiptoe
toe-piece
the forward part of the device fixed to a ski to grip a ski boot , for either water skiing or snow skiing
toe-to-toe
in one-to-one combat or in direct competition
little toe
the smallest toe on the foot, which is nearest the outer edge of the foot
toe-curling
If you describe something as toe-curling , you mean that it makes you feel very embarrassed .
top-to-toe
involving the whole of the body
heel-and-toe
of or denoting a style of walking in which the heel of the front foot touches the ground before the toes of the rear one leave it
tic-tac-toe
→ tick-tack-toe
tit-tat-toe
→ tick-tack-toe
toe and heel
a technique used by racing drivers while changing gear on sharp bends , in which the brake is operated by the toe (or heel ) of the right foot while the heel (or toe) simultaneously operates the accelerator
toe the line
If you toe the line , you behave in the way that people in authority expect you to.
tick-tack-toe
a game in which two players , one using a nought , " O ", the other a cross , " X ", alternately mark one square out of nine formed by two pairs of crossed lines, the winner being the first to get three of the symbols in a row
toecap
A toecap is a piece of leather or metal which is fitted over the end of a shoe or boot in order to protect or strengthen it.
toehold
If you have a toehold in a situation , you have managed to gain an uncertain position or a small amount of power in it, which you hope will give you the opportunity to get a better or more powerful position.
toenail
Your toenails are the thin hard areas at the end of each of your toes.
toeshoe
a ballet pump with padded toes
dip one's toe in
to begin doing or try something new or unfamiliar
from head to toe
over the whole of someone's body
from top to toe
You can use from top to toe to emphasize that the whole of someone's body is covered or dressed in a particular thing or type of clothing .
French foot
a foot of the mid-18th century having the form of a scroll , continuing the leg downward and outward , supported by a shoe
go toe to toe with someone
to start to fight, argue , or compete with someone fiercely and directly
dip your toe in the water
to start doing something that you have not done before in a slow and careful way because you are not sure if you will like it or if it will be successful
race walking
the sport of rapid , continuous-foot-contact walking , requiring that the trailing foot not be lifted until the other meets the ground and the knee locks momentarily , and executed in an upright , rhythmic stride with the arms usually held bent and high and pumped close to the body