a. and adv. Rarely 5–6 barefeet (pl.). [OE. bærfót, early ME. barfot; cf. ON. berfœttr adj., LG. barfet, G. barfusz. See BARE a. IV.] With the feet bare or naked, without shoes or stockings on: a. as adj., passing (with verbs of motion) into b. adv.
a. c. 1000. Peccat. Med. (Bosw.). Bærfót, nudipes.
c. 1205. Lay., 8843. Sone he dude hine bar-fot [1250 bareuot].
a. 1300. Cursor M., 6072. Lok þat þai be scod ilkan … and barfote nan.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., V. ii. 5. Going to find a barefoote Brother out.
1679. Hist. Jetzer, 38. The Covent of the Bare-foot Friers.
1818. J. Hobhouse, Hist. Illustr., 253. The Emperor … undertook a barefoot pilgrimage to Mount Garganus.
1870. Lowell, Study Wind., 43. Burns,… whose barefoot Muse got the color in her cheeks by vigorous exercise in all weathers.
b. c. 1230. Ancr. R., 420. Ine sumer … to gon and sitten baruot.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Frankl. T., 349. Thy Temple in Delphos wol I barefoot seke.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 249/2. Blessid chyldren … haue gone upon the coles brennyng barfeet.
1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 37. Who waitth for dead men shoen, shall go long barefoote.
1692. South, 12 Serm. (1697), I. 40. He that thinks to expiate a sin by going barefoot, does the Penance of a Goose.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng., I. 81. Henry walked barefoot through the streets.
