toe

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 one of the five small parts that stick out from the foot: the big / little toe (= the largest / smallest toe) * I stubbed my toe on the step. * Can you touch your toes? (= by bending over while keeping your legs straight) 2 the part of a sock, shoe, etc. that covers the toes: He kicked the earth with the toe of his boot. 3 (-toed) (in adjectives) having the type or number of toes mentioned: open-toed sandals * a three-toed sloth seealsoPIGEON-TOED IDIOMS keep sb on their toes to make sure that sb is ready to deal with anything that might happen by doing things that they are not expecting: Regular surprise visits help to keep the staff on their toes. make sb's toes curl to make sb feel embarrassed or uncomfortable about sth moreatDIGv., DIPv., HEADn., STEPv., TOPn., TREADv. verb IDIOMS toe the line (AmE also toe the mark) to say or do what sb in authority tells you to say or do, even if you do not share the same opinions, etc: One or two of them refused to toe the line. * to toe the company / party line