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Added 9 October 2026

hoof

/hʊf/ noun

In Latin: ungula Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about hoof at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The tip of a toe of an ungulate such as a horse, ox or deer, strengthened by a thick keratin covering.
The human foot.
Get your hooves off me!
An ungula.

verb

To trample with hooves.
To walk.
To dance, especially as a professional.

Origin

Inherited from Middle English hof, houf, houve, hove, from Old English hōf, from Proto-Germanic *hōfaz (compare West Frisian hoef, Dutch hoef, German Huf, Danish hov, Norwegian hov, Swedish hov), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱoph₂ós (compare Sanskrit शफ (śaphá, “hoof, claw”), Avestan 𐬯𐬀𐬟𐬀 (safa, “hoof”), possibly Czech, Polish kopyto).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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