Shoe1, n.
(sho͞o), n.; pl. SHOES (sho͞oz), formerly SHOON, which is still retained provincially. [A-S. scôh, scô, sceô, O. Sax. skoh, Goth. skôhs, O. Fries. & Sw. sko, Dan. skoe, sko, Icel. skôr, D. schoe, schoen, L. Ger. schau, O. H. Ger. scuoh, N. H. Ger. schuh.]
Sense 1. A covering for the foot, usually of leather, composed of a thick species for the sole, and a thinner kind for the upper part; also, any thing resembling a shoe in form or use.
Your hose should be ungartered, your shoe untied. Shak.
Spare none but such as go in clouted shoon. Shak.
Sense 2. A plate or rim of iron nailed to the hoof of an animal to defend it from injury.
Sense 3. A plate of iron, or slip of wood, nailed to the bottom of the runner of a sleigh, or any vehicle that slides on the snow in winter.
Sense 4. The inclined piece at the bottom of a water trunk or lead pipe, for turning the course of the water, and discharging it from a building. Gwilt.
Sense 5. A drag, or sliding piece of wood or iron, placed under the wheel of a loaded vehicle, to retard its motion in going down a hill.
Sense 6. (Mach.) A notched piece upon which something rests; usually employed to prevent the wearing of a moving part.
Sense 7. A kind of trough used in a crushing-mill.
☞ Shoe is often used in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, shoe-buckle, shoe-latchet, shoe-leather, shoe-merchant, shoe-nail, shoe-seller, shoe-strap, shoe-string, and the like.
Shoe of an anchor. (Naut.) (a.) A small block of wood, convex on the back, with a hole to receive the point of the anchor fluke, used to prevent the anchor from tearing the planks of the vessel when raised or lowered. (b.) A broad, triangular piece of plank placed upon the fluke to give it a better hold in soft ground.