footer
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a small area at the bottom of a document page that shows things like page numbers or the date.
n.a dedicated area at the bottom margin of a printed or digital page, typically containing metadata such as pagination, dates, or copyright notices.
Simple“You can add your name and the date to the footer of every page in the report.”
In context“The corporate style guide requires the company logo and legal disclaimer to appear in the footer of all external documents.”
UsageUsually countable; often contrasted with 'header'.
Synonymsbottom marginpage footAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.used in words that describe how many feet long or tall something is.
n.used in combination with a number to denote an object's length, height, or depth in feet.
Simple“He bought a ten-footer boat for fishing in the small lake.”
In context“The storm surge was so powerful that it easily cleared the five-footer sea wall protecting the coastal properties.”
UsageAlways used in compounds with a number, such as 'six-footer'.
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.a casual way to say football or soccer.
n.a slang term for association football or the ball itself.
Simple“Do you want to go to the park for a game of footer after school?”
In context“The local kids were always out on the green playing footer until the streetlights came on.”
Teacher's tipThis is a very informal Britishism; learners should use 'football' in any standard or professional context.
- 04 C2 Proficiency
v.to spend time doing small, unimportant things without finishing anything.
v.to occupy oneself with trivial tasks or to move things around aimlessly without achieving a result.
Simple“Stop footering about with those papers and help me move the table.”
In context“He spent the entire afternoon footering with the engine, but he still couldn't get the car to start.”
UsageOften used with the particle 'about' or 'around'.
Teacher's tipPrimarily heard in Scotland and Ireland; most English speakers would use 'faff about' or 'mess around' instead.
Synonyms
From Middle English footer, equivalent to foot + -er.
From football + -er (“Oxford -er”).
18th century. From fouter, foutre (“valueless thing”), possibly from French foutre (“to lecher”), from Latin futuere (“to fuck”). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰew- (“to hit”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.