tiptoe

CEFRB1

/ˈtɪpˌtəʊ/

verb · noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To walk quietly on the front parts of your feet.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    Moving carefully, quietly, warily or stealthily, on or as if on the tips of one's toes.

Examples

  • I went up to my bedroom on tiptoe.

  • Kate tries to walk on tiptoe.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5

Also pronounced

  • [ˈtʰɪpˌtʰoʊ̯]
  • /ˈtɪpˌtoʊ/

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. Standing elevated, on or as if on the tips of one's toes.

  2. To walk quietly with only the tips of the toes touching the ground.

noun

Extra meaning

  1. The tip of the toe.

More examples

In context

  • Night's candles are burnt out, and jocund day / Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops.

  • And ever as they talked Beregond was more amazed, and looked with greater wonder at the hobbit, swinging his short legs as he sat on the seat, or standing tiptoe upon it to peer over the sill at the lands below.

  • We went tip-toeing along a path amongst the trees back towards the end of the widow's garden, stooping down so as the branches wouldn't scrape our heads.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

She had to blank across the room so she wouldn't wake the baby.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

From Middle English tipto, typto; equivalent to tip + toe. Compare fingertip.