toe

toe — noun

1. The five finger-shaped parts at the front of the foot that help you stay balance

1.nounA1
Definition

The five finger-shaped parts at the front of the foot that help you stay balanced when standing or moving. Each toe has a hard outer layer called a toenail on its tip.

Example

Wren stubbed her toe on the wooden chair leg and cried out in pain.

stub + one's toe (+ on/against something)

The doctor asked Imran to wiggle his toes one by one during the checkup.

wiggle one's toes

Common collocations
  • big toe
  • little toe
  • stub one's toe
  • wiggle one's toes
  • curl one's toes
  • toenail
  • bunny toe
Synonyms
  • digit

    Formal/medical term for any finger or toe; rarely used in everyday speech

Grammar Patterns

a toe

toes

the [big/little] toe

Usage Note

The big toe (the innermost and largest) and little toe (the outermost and smallest) are named for their size. When describing an injury, use 'stub your toe' for hitting it against something hard, and 'break your toe' for a bone fracture.

Common Mistakes

I hurt my finger when I dropped the box on my foot.
I hurt my toe when I dropped the box on my foot.
'Finger' refers to the hand; 'toe' refers to the foot.

2. The forward section of a shoe, sock, or other footwear where the toes are placed

2.nounB1
Definition

The forward section of a shoe, sock, or other footwear where the toes are placed. This area is sometimes made with stronger material to protect the foot from injury.

Example

A hole appeared in the toe of Noa's left sock after the long hike.

toe of [garment] — possessive genitive

Esteban bought steel-toe boots for his new job at the warehouse.

compound: steel-toe boots

Common collocations
  • steel-toe boots
  • toe of the shoe
  • toe of the sock
  • pointed toe
  • reinforced toe
  • toe cap
Synonyms
  • tip

    More general term for the pointed end of an object; less specific to footwear

Antonyms
  • heel

    The back part of a shoe or sock that covers the heel of the foot

Grammar Patterns

the toe of [garment]

steel-toe [boot/shoe]

3. A narrow end piece of an object, structure, or natural feature that projects out

3.nounB2
Definition

A narrow end piece of an object, structure, or natural feature that projects outward or sits at the very bottom. For example, the lower edge of a cliff or the working tip of a tool.

Example

The toe of the cliff hung over the ocean far below the hikers.

toe of [natural feature]

Ziad used the toe of the metal bar to lift the heavy grate.

toe of [tool] — working end

Common collocations
  • toe of the cliff
  • toe of the dam
  • toe of the bar
  • toe of the boot
Synonyms
  • tip

    More general; refers to the end point of any object, not necessarily narrow or projecting

  • end

    Even more general; any extremity of an object

Grammar Patterns

the toe of [object/structure]

Usage Note

This sense appears most often in technical or descriptive writing about geography, tools, or construction. In everyday conversation, the body-part sense is far more common.

Idioms

dip a toe in / dip one's toe into something

idiom

To start doing something very carefully or gradually, just to see if you like it or if it will be successful.

After years of teaching, Indra dipped a toe into freelance writing by taking one small project.

The company dipped its toe into the Chinese market with a single online store.

tread on someone's toes

idiom

To say or do something that offends or annoys someone, especially by interfering in an area that is their responsibility.

Élise apologized for treading on her colleague's toes when she changed the project plan without asking.

The new manager was careful not to tread on anyone's toes during her first week.

keep someone on their toes

idiom

To make sure someone stays alert, ready, and able to deal with anything unexpected that might happen.

Surprise quizzes kept the students on their toes throughout the semester.

Tariro's boss liked to ask sudden questions to keep the team on their toes.

from top to toe

idiom

Completely; covering or affecting the whole body.

The children were covered in mud from top to toe after playing in the rain.

Nkechi wore bright red from top to toe for the New Year celebration.

make someone's toes curl

idiom

To make someone feel very embarrassed, uncomfortable, or disgusted by something they see, hear, or experience.

The singer's off-key performance made the audience's toes curl with embarrassment.

Seeing her old high-school photos made Sana's toes curl.

dig one's toes in / dig in one's toes

idiom

To refuse to do something or change your opinion, even when others try to persuade you.

The union dug its toes in and refused to accept any pay cut.

Ziad dug his toes in when his parents suggested he study law instead of art.

dig your toes/heels in

idiom

To firmly refuse to change your opinion or action.

Mia dug her heels in and refused to accept the offer.

Why do you always dig your toes in when we try to help?

from head to foot/toe

idiom

Covering the entire body.

After the hike, we were covered from head to toe in dust.

The dancer was dressed from head to foot in sparkling gold.

keep somebody on their toes

idiom

To make someone stay alert and ready for unexpected situations.

The new manager's surprise visits keep the team on their toes.

A demanding teacher keeps students on their toes all semester.

make somebody’s toes curl

idiom

To make someone feel very embarrassed or uncomfortable.

His off-key singing made my toes curl at the concert.

The awkward silence made everyone's toes curl during the meeting.

tread on somebody’s toes

idiom

To offend or annoy someone by interfering in their area of responsibility.

I don't want to tread on your toes, but may I suggest a change?

He tiptoed around the project to avoid treading on anyone's toes.

toe — verb

Word family

  • toenail
    nounA2
  • tiptoe
    verbB1
  • tiptoe
    adverbB1
  • toeless
    adjectiveC1
  • toehold
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Toe, finger, and digit all refer to the small projecting parts at the ends of limbs, but they differ by location and register. A toe is specifically one of the five digits on each foot — it helps with balance and walking, and you can stub it, wiggle it, or curl it. A finger is the hand equivalent: longer, more flexible, and used for grasping and pointing. The word digit covers both fingers and toes, but it is a formal or medical term — you would hear it in a doctor's office or an anatomy textbook, not in everyday conversation. For example, you would say 'I broke my toe playing soccer,' not 'I broke my digit.' Likewise, you ask someone to 'count on your fingers,' not 'count on your digits.' Learners whose first language uses one word for both (e.g. Chinese 手指 for hand and 腳趾 for foot) should remember that English keeps these two terms strictly separate.

toe ↗finger ↗digit ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • toe injury
  • toe pain
  • toe fracture
  • toe ring
  • toe grip

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word toe comes from Old English tā (plural tān), which traces back through Proto-West Germanic to a Proto-Germanic root *taihwōn. This same root gave Dutch teen and German Zeh. The spelling changed from Old English tā to Middle English to(e) around the 1300s as the pronunciation shifted. The word has been used for body parts since before English was written down, and the figurative extensions (like 'toe the line' and 'toe of a cliff') developed later, from the 1700s onward.