The print or impression left by the foot; spec. in Geol. a fossilized one.
1552. Huloet, Fote prynte, or the prime of the fote, peda.
1623. Cockeram, I. Traces, the feet-print of rauening beasts.
1850. Lyell, 2nd Visit U. S., II. 304. Certain fossil foot-prints of a reptile said to have been found in strata of the ancient coal-formation.
1865. E. B. Tylor, Researches into the Early History of Mankind, 115. The typical case is the sacred footprint of Ceylon, which is a cavity in the rock, 5 feet long by 21/2 feet wide, at the top of Adam’s Peak, made into something like a huge footstep by mortar divisions for the toes.
1888. Burgon, Lives of Twelve Good Men, II. v. 26. Amid the Berkshire Downs,—in order to explain that forgotten is not forgiven sin,—he reminded the lads how their footprints in yesterday’s snow were all still there, although the slight snowfall of last night had effectually hidden them from view.
fig. 1674. Playford, Skill Mus., I. xi. 38. Trills, Grupps, Exclamations of Increasing and Abating of the Voice, of which I do intend in this my Discourse to leave some foot-prints, that others may attain to this excellent manner of Singing.
1839. Longf., Psalm of Life, vii.
| Lives of great men all remind us | |
| We can make our lives sublime, | |
| And, departing, leave behind us | |
| Footprints on the sands of time. |
Hence Foot-print v. trans., to mark with footprints.
1850. Mrs. Browning, Poems, I. 201.
| Pavement fair, | |
| The antique wood-nymphs scarce would dare | |
| To foot-print o’er, had such been there. |
