Meaning & use

cloven hooves

noun·Academic

Hooves that are split into two separate toes, as seen in animals like cattle, sheep, pigs, and deer.

See it in a sentence

You can identify a deer's tracks by the distinct print of its cloven hooves.

Cattle and pigs both have cloven hooves, unlike horses, which have a single solid hoof.

A note on using this word

Animals with cloven hooves are called even-toed ungulates, a group that includes cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs.

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