atiptoe
Syllables: atip·toe/əˈtɪptəʊ/US/əˈtɪptoʊ/
atiptoe adverb: on tiptoe; on the tips of one's toes in order to move quietly or to stand taller.
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Adverb
atiptoe (not comparable)
- On tiptoe; on the tips of one's toes in order to move quietly or to stand taller.
- [T]he gate of going of Fortune ſeems quick and faſt, her ſpirit great, and courage proud, her hopes high and haughty: ſhe over-goeth Vertue, and approacheth neer at hand already; not mounting and lifting up her ſelfe now with her light and flight wings, not ſtanding a tiptoe upon a round ball or...1657, Plutarch, “Of the Romans Fortune”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Philosophy, Commonly Called, The Morals […], revised edition, London: […] S[arah] G[riffin] for J. Kirton, […], →OCLC, page...
- We content not our ſelves with ſtanding a tiptoe for to appear greater than others; we ſtrive ſtill either to make them fall, or for to abaſe them for to appear greater by their abaſement.1695, [Jakob Abbadie], “Of the Two Last Characters of Pride, which are Ambition and Contempt of Ones Neighbour”, in [anonymous], transl., The Art of Knowing Ones Self: Or, A Diligent Search into the...
- Synonyms:
- en pointe, tiptoeingly
- Quietly, and little by little.
- Don't you ſee that Moor who comes a tiptoe creeping and ſtealing along with his finger in his mouth behind Meliſandra? Hear what a ſmack he gives on her ſweet lips, and ſee how ſhe ſpits and wipes her mouth with her white ſmock-ſleeve!1749, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, “A Pleasant Account of the Puppet-play, with Other Very Good Things Truly”, in [Peter Anthony] Motteux, transl., edited by [John] Ozell, The History of the...
- But silence fell upon her atiptoe mid her thoughts, straining for the great truth of moral conduct in a world of shams and convention.1890, H[enry] B[rereton] Marriott Watson, “The Acre Pool”, in Lady Faint-heart […], volume I, London: Chapman and Hall, →OCLC, page 151
- Without retreating from adversity, confrontation, or danger; standing tall; bravely, proudly, unyieldingly.
- This day is called the day of Cryſpin, / He that outliues this day, and ſees old age, / Shall ſtand a tiptoe vvhen this day is named, / And rovvſe him at the name of Cryſpin.1599 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Cronicle History of Henry the Fift, […] (First Quarto), London: […] Thomas Creede, for Tho[mas] Millington, and Iohn Busby […], published 1600, →OCLC...
- [T]he Spaniard ſtood as high a tiptoe as ever, and notwithſtanding the vaſt expence of treaſure and blood he had been at for ſo many years, and that matters began to exaſperate more and more, which were like to prolong the Wars in infinitum, he would abate nothing in point on Eccleſiaſtick...1622 May 10 (Gregorian calendar), James Howell, “XV. A Survey of the Seventeen Provinces.”, in Epistolæ Ho-Elianæ. Familiar Letters Domestic and Forren. […], 3rd edition, volume I, London: […]...
- In a state of anticipation; keenly awaiting.
- Consider therefore if, on this Wednesday morning, there is an affluence of Patriotism; if Paris stands a-tiptoe, and all Deputies are at their post! […] Meanwhile expectant Patriotism and Paris standing a-tiptoe, have need of patience.1837, Thomas Carlyle, “The Three Votings”, in The French Revolution: A History […], volume III (The Guillotine), London: James Fraser, […], →OCLC, book II (The Paper Age), page 141
- [A]ll Europe now stands atiptoe, anxiously watching for the what next.1862 September 6, “Italy”, in The Illustrated London News, volume XLI, number 1163, London: […] George C. Leighton […], →OCLC, page 254, column 1
Adjective
atiptoe (not comparable)
- On tiptoe; moving or standing on the tips of one's toes.
- [S]he swept back with her hand the hem of her dress, and showed one little foot atiptoe behind the heel of the other.1885, A[deline] D[utton] T[rain] Whitney, “Along the Riverside”, in Bonnyborough […], volume II, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC, page 31
- In a state of anticipation; keenly awaiting.
- O could I meete andrea, now my blouds a tiptoe. / This hand and ſword ſhould melt him: / Valliant Don Pedro.1605, The First Part of Ieronimo. […], London: […] Thomas Pauyer, […], →OCLC
- The Counteſs of Light-airs has taken an unaccountable fancy to ſome coxcomb as worthleſs as herſelf. This is ſpread about, and the curioſity of all the coquettes is a tiptoe, to know whether a woman, who paſſes for a knowing one, is in the right to have made ſuch a choice.1753, “FASHION”, in The Dictionary of Love. […], London: […] R[alph] Griffiths, […], →OCLC
atiptoe meaning in Tamil
atiptoe in Tamil
- ஆவலுடன் எதிர்பார்த்தல்
Synonyms of atiptoe
Forms of atiptoe
| alternative form | a-tiptoe |
|---|
Origin of atiptoe
From a- (prefix meaning ‘at; in; on’, used to show a condition, manner, or state) + tiptoe.
Questions about atiptoe
- What does atiptoe mean?
- Atiptoe means on tiptoe; on the tips of one's toes in order to move quietly or to stand taller.
- What is atiptoe in Tamil?
- Atiptoe in Tamil is ஆவலுடன் எதிர்பார்த்தல். See Atiptoe meaning in Tamil.
- What part of speech is atiptoe?
- Atiptoe can be an adverb or an adjective.
- How do you pronounce atiptoe?
- Atiptoe is pronounced /əˈtɪptəʊ/ (UK).
Words near atiptoe in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: atiptoe (page history and authors); atiptoe (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-atiptoe.wav.
Cite this entry: “atiptoe.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/atiptoe. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.