on all fours

Thân thiện

The toddler crawls on all fours across the living room rug.

Definition

1. Adverb:
   • On hands and knees: The phrase "on all fours" describes the physical position of a person or animal supporting their body with both hands and both knees (or feet) on the ground, similar to how many four-legged animals stand or move.

Usage

• This phrase is used to describe a specific posture. It is an adverbial phrase, meaning it modifies a verb to describe an action is performed (e.g., to crawl, to get down, to be).
• It is typically used after verbs like "get," "crawl," "be," or "go."

Examples

• Adverb:
  • The toddler crawled on all fours across the carpet.
  • He got down on all fours to search for his lost contact lens under the table.
  • The bear moved on all fours through the dense underbrush.

Advanced Usage

• Legal Analogy: In specialized legal contexts, the phrase can be used metaphorically in the idiom "on all fours with." This means a current case is directly analogous or identical in its relevant facts and points of law to a previous case, providing a strong precedent.
  • The judge ruled that the new dispute was on all fours with the precedent set in the 1995 Supreme Court decision.

Variants and Related Words

• Hands and knees: A synonymous noun phrase for the same posture.
  • She was on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor.

Synonyms

• On one's hands and knees: A slightly more formal or explicit synonym.
• Crawling: While "crawling" describes the motion, it often implies being on all fours.

Related Idioms

• "On all fours with": As noted in Advanced Usage, this is a legal idiom meaning to be in precise agreement or analogy with a previous case or argument.

Học thuật

Adverb

1. on hands and knees
   • he got down on all fours to play with his grandson