on the hoof
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on the hoof
Where it comes from
The literal sense concerning livestock has no more to it as a sum of parts than the corresponding sense of on foot does. A reference to humans being on the hoof occurs in a text from England in 1691.
phrase
- Of livestock, not yet butchered. […]he is hereby directed to purchase, and have in Readiness by the First Day of July next, Two Hundred good draught Horses, Thirty Hogsheads of Rum, Ninety Thousand Weight of Beef on the Hoof, Hides included,[…]
- Alive; embodied in a living animal (including a human); in working order. Barely 10% of the country's corn crop ever goes into commercial channels to become breakfast cereal, corn starch or oil. Less than 25% ever leaves the farm where it was grown - until it leaves on the hoof.
- Of a human activity, while standing, walking, or running; on foot. Upon the breaking out of the Rebellion in that Country in 1641, the Mother fled with our Author and another Child towards England, and landing at Leverpoole in Lancashire, they all beated it on the hoof thence to London,[…]
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Without proper thought or preparation; done as one goes.
Near-synonym: extempore
Similar: on the fly, extempore
Translations
Every language
prep_phrase whilst standing
| Français | sur le pouce, manger sur le pouce |
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Talk about this word "on the hoof." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/on%20the%20hoof. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. on the hoof. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/on%20the%20hoof "on the hoof." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/on%20the%20hoof.Cite this
@misc{on_the_hoof_2026,
title = {on the hoof},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/on%20the%20hoof},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
