afootadv.adj.
/əˈfʊt/, U.S. /əˈfʊt/ A. adv.
1. On foot as opposed to on horseback or by some other means of locomotion; on or on to one's feet as opposed to a horse, vehicle, etc. Also (after an adjective): when moving on one's feet; also in figurative contexts. Now chiefly North American.to leap afoot: see leap v. 4.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > aspects of travel > going on foot > [adverb]
afootc1275
footback1613
pedestrially1632
pedestrianly1859
OE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Tiber. B.iv) anno 1075 He sylf & his ferestan menn ferdon eft ongean to Scotlande, sume hreowlice on fotan gangende, & sume earmlice ridende.
?a1160 Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) (Peterborough contin.) anno 1140 Scæ fleh & iæde on fote to Walingford.]
c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) 12677 Nes he neuere iboren..þat mihte þat folc tellen þat þer eoden a-uoten [c1300 Otho afote].
c1300 St. Thomas Becket (Laud) l. 1152 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 139 Hors ne hadde he non: Þis holi man al a-fote forth is wei gan gon.
c1330 Sir Degare (Auch.) 941 in W. H. French & C. B. Hale Middle Eng. Metrical Romances (1930) 316 (MED) Aliȝt..adoun anon; To fiȝt þou sschalt afote gon.
c1425 Edward, Duke of York Master of Game (Vesp. B.xii) (1904) 8 (MED) Whan þe hunters done her office, or at horsbak or afoote.
1489 W. Caxton tr. C. de Pisan Bk. Fayttes of Armes i. xxiii. sig. Eijv Folke..in tho dayes faughten more on horsbacke than a fote.
1532 (c1385) Usk's Test. Love in W. W. Skeat Chaucerian & Other Pieces (1897) 50 With me the pope wente a-fote.
1611 Bible (King James) Acts xx. 13 Minding himselfe to goe afoote . View more context for this quotation
1633 Match at Mid-night iv. sig. G3v Now I hansomly threw dust in's eyes, and yet kept the plot swift a foote too.
1681 London Gaz. mdclxi/3 His Royal Highness walked a Foot.
1731 J. Swift Answer to Simile 140 And since we find you walk a-foot, We'll soundly souce your frize surtout.
1762 O. Goldsmith Citizen of World II. 231 They take coach which costs nine pence, or they may go a foot which costs nothing.
1811 J. Black tr. A. von Humboldt Polit. Ess. New Spain I. 51 The existence of these vallies prevents the inhabitants from travelling on horseback, a-foot, or carried on the shoulders of Indians.
1842 W. H. Hoskins & H. H. Hoskins De Valencourt iv. iii. 74 Your rogues are fleet afoot—I must begone!
1890 M. Oliphant Kirsteen II. i. 19 Your minnie must have been sair at heart to let you gang afoot such a weary way.
1922 F. B. Linderman Lige Mounts i. 16 ‘You can ride Becky.’ But old Becky needed a rest from the spring work, so I decided to go afoot.
1954 G. Jordan Home below Hell's Canyon xi. 155 This June, as always, the ewes and lambs must travel afoot the hundred trouble-infested miles to summer pasture.
1989 Sports Illustr. 18 Dec. 42/3 Slow afoot and undermotivated, he had become a symbol of the Sabre's failed promise.
2011 C. Bond Faerie Bard xviii. 215 The warriors of Arthur charged into the encampment and routed the Saxons, who fought afoot.
2. On or on to one's feet as opposed to some other means of bodily support. Hence: up and about; astir, on the move. Also in figurative contexts. Now chiefly North American.to have two hare's afoot: see hare n. 2. to leap afoot: see leap v. 4.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > [adverb] > in motion
aboutc1325
on footc1400
afoot1786
astir1856
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Trin. Cambr.) l. 1184 For sorwe a fote [Vesp. on fote] myȝt he not stond.
c1440 (?a1400) Sir Perceval (1930) l. 1073 (MED) Afote myȝte þe Kyng noȝt stande, Bot rede þam þare lyggande.
1567 J. Jewel Def. Apol. Churche Eng. vi. 678 For Traianus, beinge the Emperoure of Rome, was contented him selfe to stande afoote, and, for honours sake, commaunded the Consulles to sitte down.
1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. xxviii. 1000 The Gauls affrighted,..weary besides with long standing afoote..could not abide so much as the first onset and shout of the Roman legions.
1650 J. Howell tr. A. Giraffi Exact Hist. Late Revol. Naples 154 Masaniello standing all the while afoot upon the steps of the Archbishops throne.
1786 G. Washington Diary 9 Feb. (1925) III. 12 Never got a fox afoot, tho I dragged one to Mr. Robt. Alexander's Pocoson.
1851 T. Carlyle Life J. Sterling ii. vii. 148 Sterling..distinguished himself as a sick-nurse till his poor comrade got afoot again.
1875 M. Oliphant Story of Valentine & his Brother II. xix. 301 I'm tired—dead tired; I don't know—how I am to get afoot—again.
1901 W. M. Rossetti tr. G. P. G. Rossetti Gabriele Rossetti 11 Some lines require a very surgeon's hand To make them upon crutches stand afoot.
1949 J. Caldwell Desperate Voy. xix. 205 I realized I had better make some effort to get afoot and pump out, or the decks would soon be awash.
1989 F. Kellerman Quality of Mercy xxxvi. 350 ‘Aye,’ said Rebecca, on her knees. ‘I need help standing afoot.’
3. In or into active existence, operation, or employment; in or into public circulation or currency; in or into preparation or progress.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > [adverb] > in action or operation
aboutc1325
afoot?1585
abroach1611
on1830
?1585 E. Aggas tr. E. de L'Allouette Catholicke Apologie ii. xvii. f. 57v Such as iniustly do pretend to set thereinto [sc. into the question of a king's right to choose his successor] a foote, haue made a League which they entitle Holy..wherwith to come into the hart of the Realme.
1656 R. Sanderson 20 Serm. 160 Pride..setteth contentions a foot at the first, and afterwards keepeth them afoot.
1665 D. Coxe Let. 6 Nov. in R. Boyle Corr. (2001) II. 578 From a Child of 14 or 15 yeares old I have been possessed with a strong persuasion that some of my Endeavours should prove Conducive to promote that Grand designe which of late yeares hath been set afoot sc: of writing a Hystory of Nature and giving a Mechanicall Solution of all the perticular Phenomena therein.
1680 in Hist. & Proc. House of Commons (1742) II. 46 And was not the Execution of the Laws put afoot..by that great Papist Clifford, who had then the greatest Share (under his Majesty) in the Administration of the Government?
1701 J. Somers Jura Populi Anglicani 29 They must set afoot Factions and Brigues.
1766 H. Vansittart Narr. Trans. Bengal 1760–4 II. 163 The Nabob having set afoot an expedition against Beteea and Napaul, which he intended to command in person, waited only my taking leave of him to set out.
1829 W. Scott Anne of Geierstein III. ix. 263 He..has in a right godly manner tried to set afoot a treaty of peace with my own father.
1872 A. W. Ward tr. E. Curtius Hist. Greece (new ed.) IV. vi. i. 362 But why should the Spartans have set this story afoot?
1929 Amer. Mercury Jan. 3/1 They have set afoot multi-membered clubs and associations that boast of gigantic material resources.
1963 G. Heyer False Colours vi. 88 Who set the rumour afoot, I wonder?
2009 R. Cotton Riders from Long Pines ix. 106 ‘Do you want to hear what I've got afoot here?’.. ‘Or is this about as far as you ever planned on going in life?’
B. adj. In predicative use only.
1. Going on foot as opposed to on horseback or by some other means of locomotion; moving on one's feet. †man afoot: a foot soldier (obsolete).
ΚΠ
c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) 2947 Weoren heo of Rome alle ridinde, þa odere a-foten [c1300 Otho a-fote] and fengen heom to-ȝæines.
c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 3504 Mid six hondred kniȝtes & þre hondred men auote [a1400 Trin Cambr. afote, ?a1425 Digby of fote], Cadur..aȝen hom he sende.
?a1425 (c1400) Mandeville's Trav. (Titus C.xvi) (1919) 162 (MED) Þere abydeth contynuelly with him in court 1 mill. men at horse And cc Mill. men a fote [Egerton fote men].
a1500 Eng. Conquest Ireland (Rawl.) (1896) 59 (MED) The kynge..londyd..with fyue hundred knyghtes, and men an hors and a foote ful many.
1611 Bible (King James) Judith vii. 2 The armie of the men of warre was, an hundred and seuenty thousand footmen,..beside the baggage, & other men that were afoot amongst them. View more context for this quotation
1659 J. Davies tr. G. de Costes de La Calprenède Hymen's Præludia: 9th & 10th Pts. ii. 80 They were both together on horseback, without any other company then that of certain slaves, who were afoot.
1697 W. Wynne et al. tr. Caradoc of Llancarvan Hist. Wales 266 The Welch..were pursued for about two Miles by our Men afoot.
1787 E. Irwin Series Adventures Voy. Red-Sea (ed. 3) II. iv. 321 The camel travel with vigor, on a few balls of flour, mixed with cotton, to damp his appetite, and be afoot 10 or 12 hours every day.
1841 C. Dickens Barnaby Rudge iii. 247 He was mounted and I afoot.
1860 W. H. Russell My Diary in India 1858–9 II. 126 Young ladies and gentlemen..a-horse and a-foot.
1921 E. L. White Andivius Hedulio i. i. 11 We met another party..much like a farm bailiff, on horseback, and two slaves afoot.
1960 A. Duggan Family Favourites ii. 30 I had a little Gallic pony to ride on the journey; most of my companions were afoot, but there were enough of us mounted to make up a small detachment of horse.
2002 A. Proulx That Old Ace in Hole (2003) xv. 178 It was all shinnery and sand, jammed with cars and horses and men afoot in ankle-deep mud when it rained, dust when it was dry.
2. Upright on one's feet; up and about; astir, on the move. Also in figurative contexts, esp. (now after Shakespeare) the game is afoot.
ΚΠ
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 422/2 Is this woman that lay a chylde bedde a foote agayne?
1562 J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1906) 275 I hear by the hounds the hare is afoot.
1594 W. Shakespeare Titus Andronicus iv. ii. 29 Were our wittie Empresse well a foote . View more context for this quotation
1598 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 i. iii. 272 Before the game is afoote thou still letst slip. View more context for this quotation
1659 Col. Birch in T. Burton Diary (1828) IV. 384 The Committee of the Army is kept a-foot still, at salaries. Receivers-general and auditors are kept a-foot at the same height.
1751 T. Smollett Peregrine Pickle II. lxi. 187 It was now broad day, and all the servants of the inn were afoot.
1807 W. S. Rose Red King in tr. P.-J.-B. Le Grand d'Aussy Partenopex de Blois 190 He saw the branching quarry run, Unscaith'd, o'er bent and low; And ‘ho !’ he cried, ‘the game's afoot!’
1828 W. Scott Fair Maid of Perth iv, in Chron. Canongate 2nd Ser. II. 123 A party of mummers who were a-foot for pleasure.
1883 R. L. Stevenson Treasure Island ii. vii. 58 The night passed, and the next day, after dinner, Redruth and I were afoot again, and on the road.
1891 W. Morris News from Nowhere xxiii. 172 Nobody was afoot in the house as then, however, so I went out a-doors.
1904 A. Conan Doyle Return Sherlock Holmes (1905) 319 Come, Watson, come!.. The game is afoot.
1958 D. S. Daniell Hunt Royal (1962) i. 12 Look, something's afoot across the river.
1990 Vancouver Sun 30 June B7 As every gardener knows, slugs are afoot after dark when temperatures fall and the relative humidity increases.
2008 ‘J. Higgins’ Rough Justice vii. 133 ‘The game's afoot,’ Miller said. ‘We can only pray.’
3. Esp. of something reprehensible or underhand: active, existent, operative; circulating publicly, current.
ΚΠ
a1594 Edmond Ironside (1991) iv. iv. 109 Now thie plotforme is a foote.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Julius Caesar (1623) iii. ii. 253 Mischeefe thou art a-foot . View more context for this quotation
1669 W. Temple Let. to Ld. Arlington 24 Dec. in Wks. (1754) III. 411 They have notice of some such discourses already afoot in these parts.
1706 R. Estcourt Fair Example v. i I know there's some Business a-foot by this Hedge-bird's cackling.
1806 F. Asbury Jrnl. Jan. (1821) III. 213 Here the people would have assembled, but there was a wedding afoot.
1867 H. Vizetelly Story Diamond Necklace I. vii. 73 Her poverty being known, there was instantly a rumour afoot that common hunger was the cause of this debility.
1892 Fanciers' Jrnl. 20 Feb. 129/3 Rumor says that there is a scheme afoot among some fanciers near by San Francisco to travel incog.
1928 H. L. Mencken Let. 28 June in H. L. Mencken & S. Haardt Mencken & Sara (1987) 389 Neilan had actually taken her to dinner and to a dance, but that was apparently as far as it went. But Tully insisted that infamy was afoot.
1984 S. Terkel Good War (1985) iii. iv. 361 I smell violence in the air. There's a savagery afoot in the world.
2008 N.Y. Mag. 8 Dec. 79/3 There's a movement afoot to retire the term ‘Off-Off Broadway’, which turned 50 this year.
Compounds
ΚΠ
1592 Greenes Groats-worth of Witte sig. D4v When I was faine to carry my playing Fardle a foote-backe.
1652 R. Brome Joviall Crew sig. F2v She'l have the Bantling at her back to morrow That was to day in her belly, and march a foot-back with it.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2012; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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adv.adj.c1275