Shoe
/ʃuː/
Definitions
2 meaningsAn outer covering for the foot, often made of leather or other materials, and typically worn for protection and style.
/ʃuː/
A covering for the foot, typically made of leather, worn to protect it.
She put on her shoes before going outside.
💡 Simply: It's like a house for your foot! You wear it to keep your foot safe and comfy, and they come in all sorts of styles and colors, like sneakers, boots, and sandals. Imagine you're going outside, would you wear a shoe to protect your foot from the ground?
👶 For kids: A shoe is something you wear on your foot to protect it!
More Examples
These shoes are comfortable to wear all day.
He bought a new pair of shoes for the wedding.
How It's Used
"She bought a new pair of shoes to match her dress."
"He laced up his running shoes before the marathon."
To provide or equip with shoes; to fit with shoes or something resembling shoes.
/ʃuː/
To equip with shoes or footwear; to fit with shoes.
The blacksmith shoed the horse.
💡 Simply: To put shoes on someone or something, like your own foot or a horse's hooves. It's like giving a foot a shoe!
👶 For kids: To put a shoe on something!
More Examples
I need to shoe the horse to prepare it for the trail.
How It's Used
"The horses were shod before the long journey."
"He shoed his horse quickly before the race."
Idioms & expressions
in someone's shoes
In the same situation as someone else; experiencing their circumstances.
"I wouldn't want to be in his shoes after what happened."
shoe in
To make something easy or to ensure a win; to be certain of success.
"She was a shoe-in for the promotion."
drop the other shoe
To wait for a second bad event after the first one
"After the first big project was a failure, everyone was waiting for the other shoe to drop."
From Old English *scōh*, related to Old Norse *skór* and Proto-Germanic *skōhaz* (meaning 'shoe' or 'covering for the foot').
Historically, the word 'shoe' was used broadly to refer to various types of footwear, not just enclosed ones.