toe

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. One of the digits of a vertebrate.
2. n. The forepart of a foot or hoof.
3. n. The terminal segment of an invertebrate's limb.
4. n. The part of a sock, shoe, or boot that covers the digits of the foot.
5. n. The lowest, outermost, or endmost part, as:
6. n. The part of the head of a golf club farthest from the shaft.
7. n. The part of a vertical shaft that turns in a bearing.
8. n. The lowest part of an embankment or dam.
9. v. To touch, kick, or reach with the toe.
10. v. Sports To drive (a golf ball) with the toe of the club.
11. v. To set or adjust at an oblique angle. Used with in or out.
12. v. To drive (a nail or spike) at an oblique angle.
13. v. To fasten or secure with obliquely driven nails or spikes.
14. v. To stand, walk, move, or be formed with the toes pointed in a specified direction: He toes out.
15. idiom. on (one's) toes Ready to act; alert.
16. idiom. step To hurt, offend, or encroach on the feelings, actions, or province of.
17. idiom. line To adhere to doctrines or rules conscientiously; conform.
18. idiom. line Sports & Games To touch a mark or line with the toe or hands in readiness for the start of a race or competition.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. In machinery: A form of cam by which the valve-rods are lifted in the Stevens valve-gear for vertical river-boat engines.
2. n. In a car-wheel, the outer edge of the flange.— 9. The pointed end of the foot of an organ-pipe.— 10. In golf, the nose of a club. See nose, 5.
3. In golf, to strike (a ball) off the toe of the club.— 4. To drive (nails or heavy steel pins) obliquely through a piece or element of a frame to secure it to another placed at an angle with it. The nails, entering both pieces, fasten them together against light stresses laterally, and the necessity for tenon and mortise is avoided.
4. n. A digit of the foot, corresponding to a finger of the hand: as, the great toe; the little toe; the hind toe of a bird.
5. n. A digit of either foot, fore or hind, of a quadruped, especially when there are three or more (a large single toe, or a pair of large toes, inclosed in horn, being commonly called hoof). No animal has normally more than flve toes; most quadrupeds have flve, then four, three, two, and one, in decreasing number of instances. No bird has naturally more than four, though some breeds of poultry are regularly flve-toed by perpetuation of an original sport comparable to the sexdigitate polydactylism of man; a few have only three; the African ostrich alone has two. Five toes is the rule in reptiles and batrachians, a lesser number being exceptional among those which have limbs, as lizards, crocodiles, turtles, frogs, newts, etc. In some lizards, as those which scramble over walls and ceilings, the toes function as suckers by means of adhesive pads (see gecko); batrachians which habitually perch on trees are similarly equipped (see tree-toad); in a rare case, toes serve as a sort of parachute (see cut uuder flying-frog). In some mammals, as seals, the toes are united in the common integument of the flippers. Three and sometimes four toes are connected in web-footed birds. The joints or phalanges of toes are typically and usually three apiece, but this number is often reduced to two or one in the case of lateral toes, as the human great toe. In birds a remarkable rule prevails, that the joints of the toes, from flrst to fourth toe, run two, three, four, flve; the exceptions to this rule are comparatively few. The toes of most animals eud in nails or claws, and are often long and movable enough to serve as organs of prehension, like fingers. See cuts under bird, digitigrade, Plantigrada, bicolligate, palmate, semi-palmate, and totipalmate.
6. n. The fore part, end, or tip of the hoof of an ungulate, as the horse.
7. n. The end of a stocking, shoe, or boot which contains or covers the toes: as, square or round toes; a hole in the toe.
8. n. A piece of iron welded under the front of a horseshoe, opposite the heels, to prevent slipping. See cut under shoe.
9. n. A projection from the foot-piece of an object to give it a broader bearing and greater stability.
10. n. A barb, stud, or projection on a lock-bolt.
11. n. In machinery:
12. n. The lower end of a vertical shaft, as a mill-spindle, which rests in a step.
13. n. An arm on the valve-lifting rod of a steam-engine. A cam strikes the toe and operates the valve. Such toes are known respectively as steam-toes and exhaust-toes. E. H. Knight.
14. To touch or reach with the toes.
15. To furnish or provide a toe to or for; mend the toe of: as, to toe a stocking.
16. To place or move the toes, as in walking or dancing.

Wiktionary

1. n. Each of the five digits on the end of the foot.
2. n. An equivalent part in an animal.
3. n. That part of a shoe or sock covering the toe.
4. n. Something resembling a toe, especially at the bottom or extreme end of something.
5. n. An alignment of the wheels of a road vehicle with positive toe (or toe in) signifying that the wheels are closer together at the front than at the back and negative toe (or toe out) the opposite.
6. v. To touch, tap or kick with the toes.
7. v. To mishit a golf ball with the toe of the club.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. One of the terminal members, or digits, of the foot of a man or an animal.
2. n. The fore part of the hoof or foot of an animal.
3. n. Anything, or any part, corresponding to the toe of the foot.
4. n. The journal, or pivot, at the lower end of a revolving shaft or spindle, which rests in a step.
5. n. A lateral projection at one end, or between the ends, of a piece, as a rod or bolt, by means of which it is moved.
6. n. A projection from the periphery of a revolving piece, acting as a cam to lift another piece.
7. v. To touch or reach with the toes; to come fully up to.
8. v. To hold or carry the toes (in a certain way).

WordNet 3.0

1. v. touch with the toe
2. n. (golf) the part of a clubhead farthest from the shaft
3. v. hit (a golf ball) with the toe of the club
4. v. drive (a golf ball) with the toe of the club
5. n. the part of footwear that provides a covering for the toes
6. n. forepart of a hoof
7. v. walk so that the toes assume an indicated position or direction
8. v. drive obliquely
9. n. one of the digits of the foot