instep
instep — noun
- instepsingular
- instepsplural
1. The raised, curved area on the upper middle surface of your foot, stretching fro
The raised, curved area on the upper middle surface of your foot, stretching from your toes toward the lower leg. In footwear, the same word names the matching section of a boot, trainer, or sock that covers this spot.
Theo hurt his instep after kicking a football with the wrong part of his foot.
collocation: in [one's] instep
Yuki chose sandals with a strap across the instep so they would not slide off.
collocation: across the instep
These hiking boots have extra padding over the instep to prevent blisters on long walks.
The doctor pressed gently on the instep of Amara's right foot to check for swelling.
- arch
Often used interchangeably but 'arch' usually refers to the curved underside of the foot, not the top surface.
- sole
The bottom, flat part of the foot that touches the ground.
用法筆記
Frequently paired with a possessive or 'of'-phrase (e.g. 'the instep of her left foot'). In shoe-fitting contexts, a 'high instep' means the top of the foot is unusually arched.