To walk quietly and carefully on the tips of your toes, usually to avoid making noise or being noticed.
From Middle English 'tip' (the pointed end) plus 'toe' (the digit on your foot). The phrase originated in the 1600s as a literal description of walking on the balls of the feet, and later expanded to mean moving secretly or cautiously.
Tiptoeing is a universal human behavior we see in babies, spies, and burglars—it reduces sound by distributing your weight differently, which is why it became slang for handling situations delicately or 'tiptoeing around' a sensitive topic.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.