unequal-footed
|un-e-qual-foot-ed|
🇺🇸
/ˌʌnɪˈkwɔːlˌfʊtɪd/
🇬🇧
/ˌʌnɪˈkwɒlˌfʊtɪd/
having unequal feet
Etymology
'unequal-footed' originates from English, a compound of 'unequal' + 'footed', where the prefix 'un-' meant 'not', 'equal' derived ultimately from Latin 'aequālis' meaning 'level' or 'even', and 'foot' comes from Old English 'fōt' meaning the limb used for standing or walking.
'unequal' entered Middle English via Old French and Latin roots (Latin 'inaequālis' > Old French 'inequal'), and 'footed' is formed from Old English 'fōt' + the past participial/adjectival suffix '-ed'; the compound 'unequal-footed' is a transparent modern English formation combining these elements.
Initially the elements meant 'not even' (unequal) and 'having feet' (footed); over time the compound has been used in technical senses (anatomical or metrical) but has kept the core idea of 'having feet that are not equal'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
having feet (literal limbs) of unequal length or size; uneven in the length or structure of feet (used in zoology, veterinary contexts, or descriptive anatomy).
The foal was born unequal-footed, and the vet recommended corrective shoeing.
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Adjective 2
in prosody or metrics: having metrical feet that are unequal in length or stress pattern; irregular in rhythmic feet.
The poem's uneven rhythm made some lines sound unequal-footed in recitation.
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Last updated: 2025/09/18 16:25