[See WEB sb. 8.]
1. A foot with webbed toes. Also, the condition of being web-footed.
1765. Museum Rust., IV. lxxv. 325, note. It was common to say a fenman was an amphibious creature; and that their children were born with web-feet.
1777. Pennant, Brit. Zool., IV. 5. This is among the species taken notice of by Aristotle on account of the broad feet, which, he says, assist them in swimming: as web-feet do the water-fowl.
1884. J. Tait, Mind in Matter (1892), 64. If it dive, it will generally have a hull-shaped body, short legs, and web-feet.
2. A bird or other animal having web-feet.
1895. Funk’s Stand. Dict.
1911. Webster.
3. a. A nickname for a dweller in the Fens. ? Obs. b. A native of the State of Oregon. So called on account of the moist climate.
1765. Museum Rust., IV. lxxv. 325. I would fain rouse up the spirits of some of my brother webfeet. [Note.] This is a contemptuous term given to fenmen.
1873. J. H. Beadle, Undeveloped West, xxxv. 759. Everybody and everything we saw had the unmistakable ‘Oregon look.’ We were among the ‘Web-feet’ at last, and a comely race they are.
1875. Chamb. Jrnl., 13 March, 171/2. The inhabitants of Alabama are Lizards;… Oregon, Hard-cases or Web-feet.
