What does "toe" mean?

1. (part of the foot) one of the five separate parts at the end of your foot. 2. (part of a shoe) the front part of a shoe or sock that covers your toes. 3. (wheel alignment) the angle of a car's wheels when seen from above. 4. (to touch with the foot) to touch, kick, or reach something using your toes.

toe — meaning, definition & examples

Word

01part of the foot

A2 · Elementary Countable noun Anatomy

n. one of the five separate parts at the end of your foot.

n. any of the five terminal digits of the human foot.

“He accidentally stubbed his big toe on the corner of the wooden bed.”

“The patient suffered a minor fracture in the proximal phalanx of the fifth toe after a heavy object fell on his foot.”

Synonyms

digit

02part of a shoe

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. the front part of a shoe or sock that covers your toes.

n. the portion of a footwear item or hosiery that encloses the toes.

“These boots are too tight in the toe, so I need a larger size.”

“The steel-capped toe of the safety boot is designed to withstand significant impact in industrial environments.”

Synonyms

tip

Antonyms

heel

03wheel alignment

C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Engineering Technical

n. the angle of a car's wheels when seen from above.

n. the inward or outward angle of the wheels of a vehicle relative to its longitudinal axis.

“The mechanic adjusted the toe of the front wheels to stop the car from pulling to the left.”

“Excessive toe-in can lead to premature tyre wear and reduced fuel efficiency due to increased rolling resistance.”

Synonyms

alignment

04to touch with the foot

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to touch, kick, or reach something using your toes.

v. to touch, tap, or propel an object using the toes; often used in sports or construction contexts.

“She managed to toe the ball away just before the other player reached it.”

“The carpenter had to toe the nails into the joist at an angle to ensure a secure connection between the timber frames.”

Synonyms

kick tap

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “toe” in context.

Verb

01. dip toe

“She dipped her toe into the swimming pool to check the temperature.”

verb + noun

02. stub toe

“I stubbed my toe on the corner of the coffee table in the dark.”

verb + noun

03. toe curls

“Her toes curled in embarrassment when she realized her mistake.”

noun + verb

04. toe pokes

“The front of his toe pokes through the hole in his old sock.”

noun + verb

Adjective

05. big toe

“He dropped a heavy book right on his big toe.”

adj + noun

06. sore toe

“She couldn't run the race because of a sore toe.”

adj + noun

07. stubbed toe

“A stubbed toe can be surprisingly painful for such a small injury.”

adj + noun

Noun

08. tip of toe

“She stood on the tips of her toes to reach the top shelf.”

noun + prep + noun

09. dip a toe in

“The company decided to dip a toe in the European market before expanding.”

10. from head to toe

“The children were covered in mud from head to toe after playing outside.”

11. keep on one's toes

“The new manager's unpredictable style keeps everyone on their toes.”

12. toe the line

“Employees are expected to toe the line regarding the new safety regulations.”

“Most people don’t give the little toe much thought until they stub it, or until they notice in a photograph how small and slightly crooked it looks next to the others.”

Forbes 18 Aug 2026

“The Blue Jays reported that Springer, the designated hitter, sustained a fractured left big toe after he hit a foul ball onto his foot during the third inning of the home game against the Twins.”

Reuters 11 Apr 2026

“Have someone attempt to pull the card away as you push down with your toe to resist.”

The New York Times 18 Jul 2024

From Middle English to, from Old English tā, (Mercian) tāhe, from Proto-West Germanic taihā, from Proto-Germanic taihwǭ, from tīhwaną (“to show, announce”), from Proto-Indo-European deyḱ- (“to show”). See also Dutch teen, German Zehe, Danish tå, Swedish tå; also Old English teōn (“to accuse”), German zeihen (“to accuse, blame”); also Hittite [script needed] (tekkuššāi), Latin dīcere (“to say”), digitus (“finger”), Ancient Greek δείκνυμι (deíknumi, “to point out, show”), Sanskrit दिदेष्टि (dídeṣṭi), दिशति (diśáti).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

NOUN

toe(B1)

toenail(A2)

wiggling wriggle