Meanings
alternative on all-fours
- idiomaticOn one's hands and knees.
He was on all fours, with three children on his back, riding him for a horse.
1916, Elbert Hubbard, “Johannes Brahms”, in Little Journeys Vol. 14: Great Musicians2 more examples
A bulky form was seen rising aft, and began marching on all fours with the movements of some big cautious beast.
1897, Joseph Conrad, chapter 3, in The Nigger Of The ‘Narcissus’Here and there the way is so steep and slippery that I can only advance on all fours.
1989 May, Uwe George, “Venezuela's Islands in Time”, in National Geographic, volume 175, number 5, page 534 - idiomaticoftenIn a manner which is similar in nature or effect to something else; consistent.
The paternal longing ran on all fours with her own desire.
1886 May – 1887 April, Thomas Hardy, chapter 39, in The Woodlanders […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London; New York, N.Y.: Macmillan and Co., published 1887, →OCLC2 more examples
While he brought the ink to the bedside, I read the form and found it on all fours with what he had said.
1919, Jefferson Carter (aka Stanley John Weyman), “V The Swamp Fox”, in Madam ConstantiaThe new law was precisely on all-fours with the Homestead Act.
1920, Rudyard Kipling, chapter 21, in Letters of Travel
Translations
Basque lau hankan
- lau hankanon hands and knees
Catalan de quatre grapes, a quatre grapes
- de quatre grapeson hands and knees
- a quatre grapeson hands and knees
Chinese Mandarin 四肢著地, 四肢着地
- 四肢著地on hands and knees
- 四肢着地 (sìzhī zháodì, sìzhī zhuódì)on hands and knees
Esperanto kvargambe
- kvargambeon hands and knees
Estonian neljakäpakil
- neljakäpakilon hands and knees
Finnish nelinkontin, kontallaan
- nelinkontinon hands and knees
- kontallaanon hands and knees
French à quatre pattes
- à quatre patteson hands and knees
German auf allen vieren
- auf allen vierenon hands and knees
Greek στα τέσσερα
- στα τέσσερα (sta téssera)on hands and knees
Hungarian négykézláb
- négykézlábon hands and knees
Icelandic á fjórum fótum
- á fjórum fótumon hands and knees
Italian carponi, a quattro piedi
- carponion hands and knees
- a quattro piedion hands and knees
- gattonion hands and knees
- a quattro zampeon hands and knees
Japanese 四つん這いで, 四つんばいで
- 四つん這いで (yotsunbai de)on hands and knees
- 四つんばいで (yotsunbai de)on hands and knees
Latin quadrupēs
- quadrupēson hands and knees
Māori pekewhā
- pekewhāon hands and knees
Norwegian Bokmål på alle fire
- på alle fireon hands and knees
Polish na czworakach, raczkiem
- na czworakachon hands and knees
- raczkiemon hands and knees
- na bałykuon hands and knees
Portuguese de quatro
- de quatroon hands and knees
Romanian în patru labe
- în patru labeon hands and knees
Russian на четвере́ньках, на кара́чках
- на четвере́ньках (na četverénʹkax)on hands and knees
- на кара́чках (na karáčkax)on hands and knees
Spanish a cuatro patas, a veinte uñas
- a cuatro patason hands and knees
- a veinte uñason hands and knees
- en cuatroon hands and knees
Swedish på alla fyra
- på alla fyraon hands and knees
Ukrainian ра́чки, ра́ком
- ра́чки (ráčky)on hands and knees
- ра́ком (rákom)on hands and knees
- ра́ка (ráka)on hands and knees
Cite this entry
on all fours. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20all%20fours
“on all fours.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20all%20fours. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “on all fours,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20all%20fours.
Source: on all fours on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.