all fours

plural noun

: all four legs of a quadruped

: the two legs and two arms of a person when used to support the body

down on all fours

After a few tense moments, she dropped to all fours …—

Carl Hiassen

singular in construction : any of various card games in which points are scored for the high trump, low trump, jack of trumps, and game

First Known Use

1678, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of all fours was in 1678

See more words from the same year

Style

“All fours.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all%20fours. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

all fours

plural noun

: all four legs of a four-legged animal or the two legs and two arms of a person

got down on all fours

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