barefoot

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See also: Barefoot

English

Etymology

From Middle English barefote, barfot, from Old English bærfōt (“barefoot”), from Proto-Germanic *bazafōts (“barefoot”) equivalent to bare +‎ foot. Cognate with Scots barefit (“barefoot”), Old Frisian berfōt ("barefoot"; modern Saterland Frisian boarfouts (“barefoot”, adverb)), Dutch barrevoets (“barefoot”, adverb), German barfuß (“barefoot”), Danish barfodet (“barefoot”), Swedish barfota (“barefoot”, adverb), Icelandic berfættur (“barefoot”), Yiddish באָרוועס (borves, “barefoot”).

barefoot (1)

Pronunciation

Adjective

barefoot (not comparable)

  1. Wearing nothing on the feet.
    After taking off their shoes, socks and sandals at the doorway, the kids were barefoot.
    • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 9, column 1:
      [L]ike Hedg-hogs vvhich / Lye tumbling in my bare-foote vvay, and mount / Their pricks at my foot-fall: ſometime am I / All vvound vvith Adders, vvho vvith clouen tongues / Doe hiſſe me into madneſſe: […]
    • 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 60:
      It was firm enough to walk on, but Bradly took off his boots to preserve the leather from sea-water, and for the pleasure of barefoot walking on cool sand.
  2. (informal) Of a vehicle on an icy road: not using snow chains.
  3. (CB radio, slang) Transmitting without the use of an amplifier.

Synonyms

Translations

Adverb

barefoot (not comparable)

  1. Wearing nothing on the feet.
    • 2007, Andy Mangels, Michael A. Martin, Star Trek: Enterprise: The Good That Men Do:
      Ignoring the familiar discomfort, he padded barefoot across the thick white carpet toward the heavy curtains that lined the richly appointed bedroom’s wide transparisteel window.
    She likes to go barefoot in the summertime.
  2. (CB radio slang) Transmitting without the use of an amplifier.

Derived terms

Translations

References

  1. ^ Jespersen, Otto (1909) A Modern English Grammar on Historical Principles (Sammlung germanischer Elementar- und Handbücher; 9)‎, volumes I: Sounds and Spellings, London: George Allen & Unwin, published 1961, § 4.37, page 125.

Further reading

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