Definition

Adjective 1. Having a toe or toes of a specified kind: Describes something, typically a foot, shoe, or animal, that possesses a toe or toes with a particular characteristic. This meaning is almost always used in combination with another word to specify the characteristic.

Usage and Examples

The word "toed" is almost never used alone. It functions as a combining form, attached to another word (usually an adjective or number) to create a compound adjective that describes the nature of the toes.

• The bird was sharp-toed, allowing it to grip branches firmly.
• For safety, workers on the construction site must wear steel-toed boots.
• The three-toed sloth moves very slowly through the trees.
• Some ancient footprints appear to have been made by a splay-toed creature.

Advanced Usage and Notes

• Grammatical Role: "Toed" is a participial adjective derived from the noun "toe." In combinations like "five-toed," it describes the state of having that feature.
• Hyphenation: These combinations are typically hyphenated, especially when they precede the noun they modify (e.g., "a pigeon-toed stance"). They may sometimes be written as one word or two separate words depending on common usage and dictionary style.

Variants and Related Words

• Toe (n): The digit at the end of the foot.
• -toed (combining form): Used to create descriptive compound adjectives. Common examples include:
  • Pigeon-toed: Having feet that point inward.
  • Webbed-toed: Having toes connected by a membrane, like a duck.
  • Hammer-toed: Having a toe deformity where the joint is bent.

Synonyms and Antonyms

• Synonyms: There are no direct single-word synonyms for the combining form "-toed." Descriptions would need to be paraphrased (e.g., "having five toes" instead of "five-toed").
• Antonyms: Toeless (lacking toes). For specific combinations, the antonym would depend on the prefix (e.g., the opposite of "pigeon-toed" could be "duck-footed" or "splay-footed").

Adjective

1. having a toe or toes of a specified kind; often used in combination
   • long-toed
   • five-toed