Join free

TOE

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

toe¹

  • /təʊ/ UK
  • /toʊ/ Canada, US
  • /to/ Scotland
  • /toː/ Wales
  • /təʊ/ Ireland
  • [tʌo̞]
  • /təʉ/ Australia
  • /tɐʉ/ New Zealand

Sounds like tow (toe–tow merger) · Rhymes with -əʊ

Where it comes from

From Middle English to, from Old English tā, (Mercian) tāhe, from Proto-West Germanic *taihā, from Proto-Germanic *taihwǭ, from *tīhwaną (“to show, announce”), from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- (“to show”).

Cognate with Dutch teen, German Zehe, Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish tå, Faroese and Icelandic tá; also Old English teōn (“to accuse”), German zeihen (“to accuse, blame”); see also Hittite [script needed] (tekkuššāi), Latin dīcere (“to say”), digitus (“finger”), Ancient Greek δείκνυμι (deíknumi, “to point out, show”), Sanskrit दिदेष्टि (dídeṣṭi), दिशति (diśáti).

noun toes

  1. countable, uncountable Each of the five digits on the end of the human foot. An old traditional prescription for provoking erotic inclinations ran as follows, The toe of the foot of a man, anointed with oil, or honey, or the ashes of a weasel.
  2. countable, uncountable The equivalent part in an animal.
  3. countable, uncountable The part of a shoe or sock covering the toe. Stumbling forward, Tal caught the toe of his boot on rock.
  4. countable, uncountable Something resembling a toe, especially at the bottom or extreme end of something. (golf) the extreme end of the head of a club.
  5. uncountable An advanced form of ballet primarily performed by women, wearing pointe shoes.
  6. countable, uncountable An alignment of the wheels of a road vehicle, either positive (toe in), meaning the wheels are closer together at the front than at the back, or negative (toe out), the other way round.
  7. countable, uncountable The journal, or pivot, at the lower end of a revolving shaft or spindle, which rests in a step.
  8. countable, uncountable A lateral projection at one end, or between the ends, of a piece, such as a rod or bolt, by means of which it is moved.
  9. countable, uncountable A projection from the periphery of a revolving piece, acting as a cam to lift another piece.
  10. countable, uncountable The long side of an angled cut.
  11. countable, uncountable The upper end of the bit (cutting edge) of an axehead; as opposed to the heel (lower end).
  12. countable, slang, uncountable A cameltoe.
  13. Australia, New Zealand, slang, uncountable Speed, energy, vigor. to have a lot of toe
  14. countable, figuratively, slang, uncountable A person.

verb toes · toeing · toed

  1. transitive To furnish (a stocking, etc.) with a toe.
  2. intransitive, transitive To touch, tap or kick with the toes. "Here's ten shillings for you, but I'm going to toe your backside first!" said Manna. And the Dane let him kick away; his yellow teeth gleamed in a servile grin and then he clutched at the money.
  3. transitive To touch or reach with the toes; to come fully up to. to toe the mark
  4. transitive To fasten (a piece) by driving a fastener at a near-45-degree angle through the side (of the piece) into the piece to which it is to be fastened. The framers toed the irregular pieces into the sill.
  5. transitive To mishit a golf ball with the toe of the club.

TOE²

noun TOEs

  1. abbreviation, initialism Initialism of theory of everything.theory of everything
  2. abbreviation, initialism Initialism of table of organization and equipment.table of organization and equipment
  3. abbreviation, initialism Initialism of terms of employment.terms of employment
  4. UK, abbreviation, initialism Initialism of transoesophageal echocardiogram.transoesophageal echocardiogram

Toe³

Where it comes from

Borrowed from Kru, but also from Burmese တို (tui). This surname is mostly found in Myanmar, followed by Liberia and Burkina Faso.

proper noun Toes

  1. A surname.

ToE⁴

noun ToEs

  1. abbreviation, initialism Initialism of theory of everything.theory of everything

Talk about this word