shoe

Meanings

Noun

• A protective covering for the foot, with a bottom part composed of thick leather or plastic sole and often a thicker heel, and a softer upper part made of leather or synthetic material. Shoes generally do not extend above the ankle, as opposed to boots, which do.
• A piece of metal designed to be attached to a horse's foot as a means of protection; a horseshoe.
• A device for holding multiple decks of playing cards, allowing more games to be played by reducing the time between shuffles.
• Something resembling a shoe in form, position, or function, such as a brake shoe.
• The outer cover or tread of a pneumatic tire, especially for an automobile.

Verb

• To put shoes on one's feet.
• To put horseshoes on a horse.
• To equip an object with a protection against wear.

Related

Narrower meaning words

• boot
• flip flop
• moccasin
• pump
• sandal
• slipper
• sneaker
• stiletto
• sports shoe
• trainer

Origin

• From Middle English sho, shoo, from Old English sċōh ("shoe"), from Proto-West Germanic *skōh, from Proto-Germanic *skōhaz ("shoe"), of unclear etymology; possibly a derivation from *skehaną, from Proto-Indo-European *skek- ("to move quickly, jump").
• Eclipsed non-native Middle English sabatine, sabatoun from Medieval Latin sabatēnum, sabatum (compare Old Occitan sabatō, Spanish zapato).
• The archaic plural shoon is from Middle English shon, from Old English scōn, scōum and scōna; it is cognate with Scots shuin.
• See also Scots shae, West Frisian skoech, Low German Schoh, Dutch schoen, German Schuh, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish sko), Tocharian B skak ("balcony")).