Flatfooting

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Performing the duties of a police officer who patrols on foot without a uniform
2. Working as a detective or law enforcement officer walking regular beats rather than using a vehicle
3. Engaging in police work carried out on foot to observe and manage public safety in a local area

Etymology: "Flatfooting" is the present participle of "flatfoot," so the real story belongs to the noun it comes from. A flatfoot is, literally, a person whose foot lies flat on the ground, the sort of flat-footed walker who covers ground on foot rather than in a car. The compound is simply "flat" joined to "foot," and the police sense grew from the image of an officer patrolling his beat on foot. The surprise is the word's sibling. "Flatfoot" and "platypus" are doublets, two words descended from the same ancient root that entered English by different routes. Both come from the Greek "platys," meaning broad or flat, and both were picked up in English with the same sense of flatness. The platypus, named for its broad, flat bill and webbed feet, is the animal whose name took the classical form.

Synonyms: stumbling, tripping, fumbling, wobbling, staggering

Antonyms: graceful, agile, steady, balanced, coordinated