Footwear

/ˈfʊtˌwɛr/ noun

Definition

Clothing designed to be worn on the feet, such as shoes, boots, or sandals.

Etymology

Compound word from 'foot' (Old English 'fot') and 'wear' (Old English 'werian' meaning to carry or have on one's person). This straightforward compound emerged in the 19th century as shoe manufacturing became industrialized.

Kelly Says

Footwear is humanity's oldest technology for mobility - archaeological evidence shows humans were crafting protective foot coverings 40,000 years ago. The variety of modern footwear reflects our conquest of every terrain from ocean floors to mountain peaks.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.