to foot it
Preserved but no longer current.
To walk the distance instead of riding it; also to dance. Lo how finely the graces can it foote to the Instrument. They dauncen deftly, and singen soote in their rneri- ment. SPENSER: Shepherd's Calendar; April.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to foot it” mean?
To walk the distance instead of riding it; also to dance. Lo how finely the graces can it foote to the Instrument. They dauncen deftly, and singen soote in their rneri- ment. SPENSER: Shepherd's Calendar; April.
Is “to foot it” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.