afoot

From a- +‎ foot.

• IPA^(key): /əˈfʊt/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (Scotland, Northern Ireland) IPA^(key): /əˈfʉt/
• Rhymes: -ʊt

afoot (not comparable)

1. On foot. (means of locomotion, walking)

   Synonym: by foot

   • 1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 77:

     "The dogs were no sooner let loose, than the hare was afoot.

2. On foot. (support of the body, standing)
3. (figurative) In motion; in action; astir; stirring; in progress.

   Synonyms: awork, underway

   • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     Hamlet: […] I prithee, when thou seest that act afoot, / Even with the very comment of thy soul / Observe mine uncle: […]

   • 1913, Arthur Conan Doyle, “(please specify the page)”, in The Poison Belt , London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:

     Possibly some chemical experiment was afoot; possibly----Well, it was no business of mine to speculate upon why he wanted it.

   • 1959 October, “Talking of Trains: Paying for the commuters”, in Trains Illustrated, page 458:

     In San Francisco and in New Jersey, to quote two other examples, plans are afoot to subsidise new commuter line construction or existing operations out of toll revenue from state highways or bridges.

   • 1982 August, Douglas Adams, Life, the Universe and Everything (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy; 3), London: Pan Books, →ISBN, page 29:

     ‘Patience,’ said Slartibartfast again. ‘Great things are afoot.’¶ ‘That's what you said last time we met,’ said Arthur.¶ ‘They were,’ said Slartibartfast.¶ ‘Yes, that's true,’ admitted Arthur.¶ All, however, that seemed to be afoot was a ceremony of some kind.

afoot (not comparable)

1. (predicative) That is on foot, in motion, in action, in progress.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:in motion, Thesaurus:in action

   • 2011, Maile Chapman, Your Presence Is Requested at Suvanto: A Novel‎:

     Sunny moves through these final days quickly, easily, buoyed by routine even though change is afoot in all directions.

   • 2019 October, James Abbott, “Esk Valley revival”, in Modern Railways, page 76:

     Now there are plans afoot to introduce a couple of extra trains to the timetable in December, with the long-term goal of a doubling of the service to eight trains a day.

• “afoot”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

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