I. toe 1 S3 /təʊ $ toʊ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: ta ]
1 . one of the five movable parts at the end of your foot ⇨ finger :
He stubbed his toe (=hurt it by kicking it against something) on a rock.
big toe (=the largest of your toes)
2 .
the part of a shoe or sock that covers the front part of your foot
3 . tread on sb’s toes British English , step on sb’s toes American English to offend someone, especially by becoming involved in something that they are responsible for
4 . keep somebody on their toes to make sure that someone is ready for anything that might happen:
They do random checks to keep workers on their toes.
5 . make sb’s toes curl to make someone feel very embarrassed or uncomfortable
6 . touch your toes to bend downwards so that your hands touch your toes, without bending your knees
7 . put/dip a toe in the water to try a little of something or try an activity for a short time to see if you like it
⇨ from head to toe at ↑ head 1 (1), ⇨ from top to toe at ↑ top 1 (22)
II. toe 2 BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle toed , present participle toeing )
toe the line to do what other people in a job or organization say you should do, whether you agree with them or not:
You toe the line or you don’t stay on the team!