cloven hoof

views updated Jun 11 2018

clo·ven hoof (also cloven foot) • n. the divided hoof or foot of ruminants such as cattle, sheep, goats, antelopes, and deer. ∎  a similar foot ascribed to a satyr, the god Pan, or to the Devil, sometimes used as a symbol of the Devil.DERIVATIVES: clo·ven-hoofed adj.clo·ven-foot·ed adj.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

cloven hoof

views updated May 21 2018

cloven hoof a divided hoof, as that of a goat, ascribed to a satyr, the god Pan, or to the Devil; in extended usage, the mark of an inherently evil nature.

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ELIZABETH KNOWLES

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cloven hoof

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