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footing. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
footing, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
footing in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
footing you have here. The definition of the word
footing will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
footing, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From Middle English fotyng; equivalent to foot + -ing.
Pronunciation
Noun
footing (countable and uncountable, plural footings)
- A ground for the foot; place for the foot to rest on; firm foundation to stand on.
1669, William Holder, Elements of Speech: An Essay of Inquiry into the Natural Production of Letters: , London: T. N for J Martyn printer to the R Society, , →OCLC:In ascents, every step gained is a footing and help to the next.
- A standing; position; established place; foothold.
1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James II, volume II, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:As soon, however, as he had obtained a footing at court, the charms of his manner […] made him a favorite.
2023 April 11, Kurtis Lee, “California Economy Is on Edge After Tech Layoffs and Studio Cutbacks”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:While the California economy maintains its powerhouse status […] the state’s most-powerful sectors […] have struggled to keep their footing, pummeled by high interest rates, investor skittishness, labor strife and other turmoil.
- A relative condition; state.
1856 December, [Thomas Babington] Macaulay, “Samuel Johnson”, in T[homas] F[lower] E[llis], editor, The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches of Lord Macaulay, new edition, London: Longman, Green, Reader, & Dyer, published 1871, →OCLC:[L]ived on a footing of equality with nobles.
- (dated) A tread; step; especially, a measured tread.
c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):Hark, I hear the footing of a man.
- (rare) A footprint or footprints; tracks, someone's trail.
1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 38, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes , book I, London: Val Simmes for Edward Blount , →OCLC:A man must doe as some wilde beasts, which at the entrance of their caves, will have no manner of footing seene.
1683, John Dryden, transl., Plutarch's Lives: Life of Crassus, translation of original by Plutarch:So he marched his army along the river with seven legions, little less than four thousand horse, and as many light-armed soldiers, and the scouts returning declared that not one man appeared, but that they saw the footing of a great many horses which seemed to be retiring in flight, whereupon Crassus conceived great hopes, and the Romans began to despise the Parthians, as men that would not come to combat, hand to hand.
- Stability or balance when standing on one's feet.
He lost his footing and fell down.
It was difficult to keep my footing on the ship during the storm.
2011 October 29, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 3-5 Arsenal”, in BBC Sport:Terry lost his footing to allow Van Persie to race clear for Arsenal's fourth after 85 minutes before the Netherlands striker completed a second treble against Chelsea by hammering his third past Petr Cech deep into stoppage time.
- The act of adding up a column of figures; the amount or sum total of such a column.
1866, Francis A. Corliss, Supreme Court, County of New York, page 111:The auditing of the accounts, when the defendant was present, was nothing more than the examinings of the footings of the bookkeeper.
- The act of putting a foot to anything; also, that which is added as a foot
- A narrow cotton lace, without figures.
- The finer refuse part of whale blubber, not wholly deprived of oil.
- (architecture, engineering) The thickened or sloping portion of a wall, or of an embankment at its foot; foundation.
- (accounting) A double-check of the numbers vertically.
Derived terms
Translations
a standing; position; established place; basis for operation
a relative condition; state
a tread; step; especially, measured tread
stability or balance when standing on one's feet
Verb
footing
- present participle and gerund of foot
References
- ^ 1858, Peter Lund Simmonds, The Dictionary of Trade Products
French
Etymology
Pseudo-anglicism, from English foot (“foot, to walk”) + -ing.
Pronunciation
Noun
footing m (uncountable)
- (France) exercise walking, jogging (as a form of exercise)
- Synonym: jogging
- 2014, Erin McCahan, Cool, Sweet, Hot, Love, Nathan (publ.), page 8.
Je ne comprends pas ceux qui font du footing à deux.- I don't understand those who jog in pairs.
Further reading
Galician
Etymology
From French footing, pseudo-anglicism, from English foot (“foot, to walk”) + -ing.
Noun
footing m (uncountable)
- jogging (as a form of exercise), running
Italian
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from French footing, and this a pseudo-anglicism.
Pronunciation
Noun
footing m (invariable)
- jogging
2006, Vittorino Andreoli, Alfabeto delle relazioni, BUR Saggi:
Spanish
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from French footing, and this a pseudo-anglicism, from English foot (“foot, to walk”) + -ing.
Pronunciation
Noun
footing m (uncountable)
- jogging (as a form of exercise), running
2014, Alex de Deus Monteiro, El hijo de un Dios Mayor, Bubok Publishing, →ISBN, page 24:—¿Todos los días hace footing? —preguntó Pancho.- —Are you jogging every day? —asked Pancho.
Usage notes
According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.
Further reading