# toe

Pronunciation: say "TOH" US /toʊ/, UK /təʊ/

## Noun

1. Any of the digits at the end of the foot of a person or an animal.
   - Simple: One of the small parts at the end of your foot, or at the end of an animal's foot.
   - _He broke a toe playing soccer last weekend._
   - _Wiggling your toes helps keep them warm in cold weather._
2. The front section of a shoe or sock that covers and encloses the toes.
   - Simple: The front part of a shoe or sock that wraps around your toes.
   - _The toe of the boot was scuffed from kicking rocks._
   - _Steel plates reinforce the toes of most work boots._
3. A projecting part at the lowest or farthest end of an object, resembling a foot's toe.
   - Simple: A part at the bottom or far end of something, shaped a bit like a foot's toe.
   - _Engineers reinforced the toe of the dam to prevent erosion._
   - _The climber found a narrow ledge near the toe of the cliff._
5. An advanced style of classical ballet, performed mainly by women on the tips of the feet in pointe shoes.
   - Simple: A hard kind of ballet danced on the very tips of the feet in special shoes.
   - _After years of training, she now performs entire variations on toe._
   - _Her dance school offers tap and jazz for beginners and toe classes for older students._
6. The inward or outward angle of a road vehicle's wheels, where toe in means the wheels sit closer together at the front and toe out the reverse.
   - Simple: The way a vehicle's wheels point slightly inward or outward at the front.
   - _The mechanic adjusted the front toe to sharpen the car's handling._
   - _Incorrect toe causes the tires to scrub and wear unevenly._
7. The visible outline of a woman's vulva pressing through tightly fitting clothing. *(slang)*
   - Simple: The shape of a woman's private area showing through tight pants or shorts.
   - _Some brands add a lined front panel to their leggings to prevent camel toe._
   - _Several online reviews warned that the thin swimsuit could cause camel toe._
9. The upper end of the cutting edge of an axehead, opposite the heel at the lower end.
   - Simple: The top corner of an axe blade's cutting edge, opposite the bottom corner.
   - _A skilled feller keeps the toe of the axe keen for clean undercuts._
   - _He sharpened the toe of the axe first, then worked down toward the heel._
10. Speed, energy, and vigor. *(slang, Australia, New Zealand)*
   - Simple: Speed and energy, especially when moving quickly.
   - _The young sprinter still had plenty of toe left in the last fifty meters._
   - _Their team played with real toe in the second half, pressing for a goal._

## Verb

4. To touch, push, or kick something with the toes, or to place the toes right up against a mark or line.
   - Simple: To touch, push, or kick something with your toes, or to stand with your toes right at a line.
   - _Players toe the ball forward to keep it close during the drill._
   - _He toed at the gravel while waiting for his turn._
8. To mishit a golf ball by striking it with the toe of the club rather than the center of the face.
   - Simple: To hit a golf ball badly with the outer end of the club face.
   - _Amateurs often toe the ball when they stand too far from it._
   - _He toed his approach shot, leaving it well short of the green._

## Other meanings

- (verb) To fasten one piece to another by driving a fastener at nearly a 45-degree angle through its side into the receiving piece.
- (noun) The longer side of an angled or beveled cut.
- (verb) To furnish a stocking, sock, or similar item with a toe.
- (noun) A side projection at one end of, or between the ends of, a part such as a rod or bolt, by which the part is moved.
- (noun) A projection on the rim of a revolving part that acts as a cam, lifting another part as it turns.
- (noun) The bearing journal or pivot at the lower end of a revolving shaft or spindle, supported in a step.
- (noun) An individual person, referred to in a casual or figurative manner.

## Origin

Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- ("to show") led to *tīhwaną, "to show, announce," which produced Proto-Germanic *taihwǭ and Proto-West Germanic *taihā. Old English had tā (Mercian tāhe), which became Middle English to. Dutch teen, German Zehe, and Danish and Swedish tå are related, and more distant relatives include Latin dīcere ("to say") and Ancient Greek deíknumi, meaning "to point out, show."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/toe (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).