clubfoot

plural clubfeet · alternative club foot · alternative club-foot

1. medicineA congenital deformity of the foot in which the ankle, heel and toes are twisted.

   He stood still as much as he could, with his club-foot behind the other, so that it should not attract notice.

   1915, William Somerset Maugham, chapter 12, in Of Human Bondage

   2 more examples

   At his lower extremities, he exhibited the deformity which is popularly known as "a club-foot." But he carried his lameness, as he carried his years, gayly.

   1870, Wilkie Collins, chapter 2, in Man and Wife

   The cure developed by Dr. Ponseti in the 1950s relies on physical manipulation. In each step of the treatment, a child’s clubfoot is stretched and turned slightly outward, and a hip-to-foot plaster cast, like the ones shown in the photograph, is then applied.

   2011 November 1, Barry Meier, “Finding Inspiration in a Doctor’s Legacy”, in New York Times, retrieved 17 May 2014

   Synonyms: polt foot, talipes

2. A rounded foot for a chair leg or other furniture.

   Synonyms: Dutch foot, duck foot, pad foot