WordDisk
  • Reading
    • Shortcuts
      •   Home
      •   All Articles
      •   Read from Another Site
      Sources
      • Wikipedia
      • Simple Wikipedia
      • VOA Learning English
      • Futurity
      • The Conversation
      • MIT News
      • Harvard Gazette
      • Cambridge News
      • YDS/YÖKDİL Passages
      Topics
      • Technology
      • Engineering
      • Business
      • Economics
      • Human
      • Health
      • Energy
      • Biology
      • Nature
      • Space
  •  Log in
  •  Sign up
4.02
History
Add

toe noun [ təʊ ]

• any of the five digits at the end of the human foot.
• "he cut his big toe on a sharp stone"
• the lower end, tip, or point of something.

toe verb

• push, touch, or kick with one's toe.
• "he toed off his shoes and flexed his feet"
• walk with the toes pointed in (or out).
• "he toes out when he walks"
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 century.

toe to toe

• (of two people) standing directly in front of one another, especially in order to fight or argue.
• "there's little skill involved—you just stand toe to toe and hit each other!"

make someone's toes curl

• bring about an extreme reaction of embarrassment or delight in someone.
"it made her toes curl just listening to him"

on one's toes

• ready for any eventuality; alert.
"he carries out random spot checks to keep everyone on their toes"

toe the line

• accept the authority, policies, or principles of a particular group, especially unwillingly.
"he knew that he had to toe the official line because he couldn't afford to be put on the dole"

toe to toe

• (of two people) standing directly in front of one another, especially in order to fight or argue.
"there's little skill involved—you just stand toe to toe and hit each other!"

tread on someone's toes

• offend someone by encroaching on their area of responsibility.
"I have no wish to tread on the toes of colleagues with local interests"

turn up one's toes

• die.
"the house will be yours when I turn up my toes"



2025 WordDisk