/ təʊ; NAmE toʊ/ noun , verb
■ noun
1.
one of the five small parts that stick out from the foot :
the big / little toe (= the largest / smallest toe)
I stubbed my toe on the step.
Can you touch your toes ? (= by bending over while keeping your legs straight)
—picture at body
2.
the part of a sock, shoe, etc. that covers the toes
—picture at court shoe
3.
-toed (in adjectives) having the type or number of toes mentioned :
open-toed sandals
a three-toed sloth
—see also pigeon-toed
•
IDIOMS
- keep sb on their toes
- make sb's toes curl
—more at dig verb , dip verb , head noun , step verb , top noun , tread verb
■ verb
•
IDIOMS
- toe the line
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English tā , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch tee and German Zeh , Zehe . Current senses of the verb date from the mid 19th cent.