Forms: pl. 4–5 tiptoon, 5 typtoon, -ton, -toos, tiptos, 6 typtoes, tippetoes, Sc. typtays, typtaes, 6– tiptoes, 7– tip-toes; sing. 5 typto, tiptoo, 6 tipto, typtoe, 6– tiptoe, 7– tip-toe. [f. TIP sb.1 + TOE sb., pl. in ME. toon, mod.E. toes.]
1. pl. The tips of the toes; almost always in phr. on or upon (one’s) tiptoes, denoting a posture (in standing or walking) with the heels raised so that the body is supported upon the tips or balls of the toes. (Now more usually on tiptoe: see 2.)
c. 1386. Chaucer, Nun’s Pr. T., 487. He moste wynke … And stonden on his tiptoon [v.rr. typton, typtoon, typtoos, tiptos] ther-with-al, And strecche forth his nekke long and smal.
c. 1400[?]. Lydg., Æsop’s Fab., i. 44. [The cock] On his typton disposyd for to syng.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IX. xii. 53. Standand on his typtays.
1573–80. Baret, Alv., G 368. To go soft and faire on his tippetoes.
1591. Spenser, M. Hubberd, 1009. Vpon his tiptoes nicely he vp went.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., III. ix. 171. He needs to stand on tiptoes that hopes to touch the moon.
1712. Spect., No. 460, ¶ 7. Gallantry strutting upon his Tip-toes.
a. 1845. Hood, As it fell upon a Day, ii. And then upon her tiptoes jumping.
transf. 1848. Tennyson, in Ld. Tennyson, Mem. (1897), I. xiii. 281. We arrived at the banks of the loch, and made acquaintance with the extremest tiptoes of the hills.
b. fig.: usually in reference to expectation or eagerness (formerly to pretension or haughtiness).
1579. Tomson, Calvin’s Serm. Tim., 550/1. Because men stand willingly vppon their tiptoes, and thinke no man worthie to haue preheminence aboue his fellowes.
1639. Fuller, Holy War, II. ix. (1840), 60. All stood on the tiptoes of expectation.
1651. N. Bacon, Disc. Govt. Eng., II. xxvii. (1739), 125. The minds of men are at a gaze; their Affections and Passions are on their Tiptoes.
1682. N. O., Boileau’s Lutrin, I. 333. Their fligg’ring Souls do now on Tiptoes stand.
2. sing. The tips of the toes collectively; almost always in phr. on or upon tiptoe (cf. 1).
c. 1440. [see b].
1525. W. Smith, Wido Edyth, in Laneham’s Lett. (1871), p. xlv. Than Wa[l]ter stode on tipto, and gan him self avance.
1607. Davies, Summa Totalis, B ij b. But when we stand on Tip-toe, or a Ball, (Though sliding still) we finally must fall.
1760–72. H. Brooke, Fool of Qual. (1809), IV. 124. [He] entered my chamber on tip-toe.
1833. L. Ritchie, Wand. by Loire, 164. Standing on tiptoe, [he] looked into one of the windows.
1861. Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxf., xxxii. He followed his cousin on tip-toe.
b. transf. and fig.: cf. 1 b. (Often the tiptoe.)
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., XI. 46. And right so on the typto [v.r. tiptoo] lete hem [vines] gey.
1602. Marston, Antonio’s Rev., IV. iii. Your eyes should sparkle joy, Your bosome rise on tiptoe at this news.
1642. Milton, Apol. Smect., iv. Wks. 1738, I. 118. What with putting his fancy to the tiptoe in this description of himself.
1799. Nelson, in Nicolas, Disp. (1845), III. 374. We are on the tip-toe of expectation.
1860–1. Flor. Nightingale, Nursing, 38. Do not keep his expectation on the tip-toe.
c. A-tiptoe = on tiptoe: see A-TIPTOE.
B. adv. Short for on or a-tiptoe: see 2 above.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., III. v. 10. Nights Candles are burnt out, and Iocond day Stands tipto on the mistie Mountaines tops. Ibid. (1612), Two Noble K., I. ii. 57. To go tip-toe Before the streete be foule.
1821. Clare, Vill. Minstr., I. 186. Then tiptoe round the maidens bound, All sorrow lags behind.
1854. Emerson, Soc. Aims, Wks. (Bohn), III. 182. It is not that they wish you to stand tiptoe, and pump your brains.
C. adj. Standing or walking, or characterized by standing or walking, on tiptoe.
1593. [see b].
1744. H. Brooke, Love & Van., 120. Why, what unfashion’d stuff you tell us Of buckram dames and tiptoe fellows!
1781. Cowper, Expost., 84. With tip-toe step Vice silently succeeds.
1801. Mar. Edgeworth, Gd. French Gov. (1831), 146. Grace … made her tiptoe approaches.
1848. Mrs. Gaskell, M. Barton, ii. He, with habitual tip-toe step, approached the poor frail body.
b. transf. and fig. in various senses: e.g., straining upwards, ambitious; eagerly expectant; tripping, dancing; silent, stealthy.
1593. Nashe, Christ’s T., Wks. (Grosart), IV. 122. Hath no chyld of Pryde so many Disciples as thys tiptoe Ambition.
1789. E. Darwin, Bot. Gard., I. 386. You … Bade his bold arm invade the lowering sky, And seize the tiptoe lightnings, ere they fly.
1818. Keats, Endymion, I. 831. How tiptoe Night holds back her dark-grey hood.
1823. Scott, Peveril, iv. The Cavaliers … were filling the principal avenue to the Castle with tiptoe mirth and revelry.
1879. G. Meredith, Egoist, xii. Man or maid sleeping in the open air provokes your tip-toe curiosity.
D. Comb. of the adv., as † tiptoe-nice (so nice or particular as to walk on tiptoe), † -strouting, -tripping adjs.
1593. Nashe, Christ’s T., Wks. (Grosart), IV. 218. So typtoenyce in treading on the earth, as though they walkt vpon Snakes.
1600. S. Nicholson, Acolastus (1876), 39. Their tipto-tripping pace bred double mazing.
1602. 2nd Pt. Return fr. Parnass., III. iv. 1386. To honour me: For my high tiptoe strouting poesye.
