VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

cloven hooves

noun·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˌkləʊvn ˈhuːvz/
US/ˌkloʊvn ˈhuːvz/

Meanings

  1. nounpluralbiology

    Hooves that are divided down the middle into two toes, as on cows, goats, pigs and deer.

    Grammar: The plural is the normal form: the goat's cloven hooves; for a single foot, say a cloven hoof.

    Patterns

    • an animal with cloven hooves

    Goats have cloven hooves that grip rocky slopes well.

    The tracks in the mud showed the cloven hooves of a deer.

    Horses have a single solid hoof, unlike animals with cloven hooves.

  2. nounpluralfigurative

    In folklore and art, the split feet traditionally given to the devil or to satyrs.

    Grammar: Usually appears with the or his in stories: the devil's cloven hooves.

    Patterns

    • the devil's cloven hooves

    In the old woodcut, the devil's cloven hooves peeked out beneath his robe.

    The costume designer gave the satyr furry legs and cloven hooves.

    Legend says you can recognize the fiend by his cloven hooves.

Word forms

singularcloven hoof

Common combinations

animals with cloven hooves
Animals with cloven hooves, such as sheep, chew cud.
leave cloven tracks
The goats left deep cloven tracks across the muddy yard.
the devil's cloven hooves
The story reveals the devil's cloven hooves at the final moment.
split cloven hooves
Cattle walk on split, cloven hooves that spread their weight.
show the cloven hoof
He tried to look kind, but his temper made him show the cloven hoof.

Synonyms and how they differ

split hooves
Split hooves is the plain, everyday description, while cloven hooves is the fixed term used in science and folklore.
cleft hooves
Cleft hooves means the same thing but is rarer and more literary.
even-toed feet
Even-toed refers to the technical grouping of animals with an even number of toes and is not used in casual speech.

Opposites

solid hooves

Word family

cloven adjective
split or divided, the old past participle of cleave
cleave verb
to split something apart, usually with force
cleaver noun
a heavy knife for chopping meat
hoofed adjective
having hooves

Commonly confused: cloven hooves or cleft?

cloven hooves vs cleft

Cleft is another past form of cleave and also means split, but cloven is the set word used with hooves.

Practice

Which animal does NOT have cloven hooves?

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “cloven hooves”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words