in-toed

A young child with in-toed feet walks across a grassy park.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Having the toes turned inward: "in-toed" describes a person or animal whose feet are angled so that the toes point toward each other when walking or standing, often resulting in a pigeon-toed gait.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The child was slightly in-toed, but the condition corrected itself with age. (Describes the child's feet having toes that point inward.)
  • Some breeds of dogs are naturally in-toed, which affects their movement. (A characteristic of certain dog breeds.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be in-toed": to have the toes turned inward as a physical trait.
  • Many toddlers are temporarily in-toed as their leg muscles develop. (A common developmental phase in young children.)

Variants and Related Words

• Intoeing (noun): the condition or action of having the toes turned inward.
  • Intoeing is often harmless and resolves on its own. (The condition of being in-toed.)

Synonyms

• Pigeon-toed: having the feet turned inward, similar to a pigeon's stance.
  • The pigeon-toed child walked with a distinctive gait. (Synonymous with in-toed.)

Related Idioms

• To walk like a pigeon: to walk with the toes turned inward.
  • She walks like a pigeon because of her in-toed feet. (Describes the in-toed walking style.)