feet

feet

A child wiggles their bare feet in the cool grass.

Definition
  1. Noun (plural of ):
    • The lower extremity of the leg: "feet" are the terminal parts of the legs, used for standing, walking, and supporting the body.
    • A unit of linear measure: In imperial units, a "foot" (plural "feet") equals 12 inches or 0.3048 meters.
    • The base or bottom part: "feet" can refer to the lowest part of an object, such as a mountain, page, or piece of furniture.
Usage Examples

  • Body part:

    • She has small feet, so she wears children's shoes. (The lower parts of her legs are small.)
    • The athlete injured his left foot during the race. (One of his lower extremities was hurt.)

  • Unit of measurement:

    • The room is 12 feet long and 10 feet wide. (The length is 12 units of 12 inches each.)
    • He is six feet tall. (His height is six units of 0.3048 meters.)

  • Base or bottom:

    • The statue stands at the feet of the mountain. (The base of the mountain.)
    • Please sign your name at the feet of the document. (The bottom of the page.)
Advanced Usage

  • "to get cold feet": to become nervous or lose courage before doing something.

    • He got cold feet before his wedding and almost ran away. (He became anxious and hesitated.)

  • "to have one's feet on the ground": to be practical and sensible.

    • Despite her success, she always has her feet on the ground. (She remains realistic and humble.)

  • "to drag one's feet": to delay or act slowly intentionally.

    • The government is dragging its feet on implementing the new policy. (It is deliberately slowing progress.)
Variants and Related Words

  • Foot (n, singular): the singular form of "feet".

    • I stubbed my foot on the step. (One lower extremity.)

  • Footed (adj): having a specified type or number of feet.

    • The table is four-footed. (It has four supports.)

  • Footless (adj): without feet.

    • The snake is a footless reptile. (It has no legs.)
Synonyms
  • Lower limbs: legs (informal, referring to the entire leg, not just the foot).
  • Base: bottom, foundation (for the meaning of the lowest part of an object).
  • Peds: (medical term) the feet (from Latin ).
Related Idioms

  • "to put one's foot in one's mouth": to say something embarrassing or tactless.

    • He put his foot in his mouth by commenting on her weight. (He made an awkward remark.)

  • "to get off on the wrong foot": to start a relationship or activity poorly.

    • We got off on the wrong foot when I arrived late to the meeting. (We began badly.)

  • "to stand on one's own two feet": to be independent and self-supporting.

    • After college, she learned to stand on her own two feet. (She became self-reliant.)