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Glite Dictionary
🐖 A split hoof 😈 Devil's sign
cloven foot

cloven foot

7.3
A hoof that is split into two parts, like on a goat or pig
  • noun
  • /ˈkloʊvən fʊt/
translation icon : pezuña hendida
  • Many farm animals, such as goats and sheep, have a cloven foot that helps them walk on rocky terrain.

Examples

  • A pig's distinctive cloven foot makes tracks that can be easily recognized in soft soil.

  • Many animals, like cows, have cloven feet.

  • According to some folklore, the devil is said to have a cloven foot.

  • The sheep has a cloven foot.

  • A pig's distinctive cloven foot makes tracks that can be easily recognized in soft soil.

  • Many farm animals, such as goats and sheep, have a cloven foot that helps them walk on rocky terrain.

  • The deer has a cloven foot that allows it to navigate through muddy areas without slipping.

Synonyms

hoof
vscloven foot
73 1.4

A hard covering at the end of an animal's foot like a horse or cow

is a specific form that is split into two parts at the tip
cloven hoof
vscloven foot
1 7.2

A hoof divided into two parts, like a cow's or sheep's

is the same thing but uses an alternate common name

Surface Forms

cloven foot singular
cloven feet plural

Morphology

cloven + foot

The phrase is partly compositional: 'cloven' (split hoof) combined with 'foot' yields a literal image of a split/hooved foot that a learner who knows both words can infer. However, the folkloric idiomatic meaning (a sign of the Devil) is a culture-specific association that cannot be predicted from the constituent words alone, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Cloven foot is the name for a split hoof on farm animals. The word cloven means 'split' and the two toes spread apart to help goats and sheep walk on rocky ground, so the phrase simply refers to that kind of foot.