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foothold

foothold

6 3.6
A place where you can put your foot securely when standing or climbing
  • noun
  • /ˈfʊthˌhoʊld/
translation icon : apoyo para el pie
  • The rock face had several footholds that made the climb much easier for the hikers.

You got to have a good foothold you or handhold you got to you just can't.

Examples

  • Sands were shifting under my feet, and I couldn't gain a foothold.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • I couldn't get a foothold.

    The Girl on the Train (2014)

  • "There's nowhere to get a foothold in the subject."

    Fiction book (1992)

  • There's nothing on the pole I can get a good foothold on.

    Fall (2022)

  • Prince clawed desperately to find a foothold on the ice.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Losing patience with himself, he scraped at the foothold with the toe of his boot.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • By the 1980s, pinhole images were regaining a strong foothold as an art form.

    Academic text (2003)

  • I couldn't look at it, but somehow I found a foothold and regained control.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Wren descended cautiously, choosing hand and footholds as she went.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • During the ascent, she carefully found a secure foothold that allowed her to climb higher.

Synonyms

footing
vsfoothold
26 4.1

A steady place to put your foot so you do not fall

is mainly about a secure place for standing or climbing rather than walking
toehold
vsfoothold
1 6.9

A small ledge where a toe can rest to help you climb

is a larger secure spot for the whole foot providing stable support

How Secure

anchor point
1 4.1
platform
90 1.6
foothold
6 3.6
toehold
1 6.9

Surface Forms

foothold singular
footholds plural

Morphology

foothold = foot + hold (transparent) = foot + hold

A clear compound of the words 'foot' and 'hold' whose literal meaning (a secure place for a foot) is directly derivable.

Etymology

The word foothold comes from the two simple words foot and hold, where foot means 'foot' (the body part) and hold means 'to keep something in place'. It was first used for a small, safe place to put your foot while climbing, so a foothold is a secure place to stand or move from.