Footstoves

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Small portable heaters or heated boxes used to warm the feet while sitting indoors or outdoors in cold weather
2. Compact heating devices placed under the feet to keep them warm, often used by people sitting in cold rooms or churches
3. Portable warming units, typically metal or wooden boxes with a heat source inside, designed to keep the feet comfortable in cold places

Etymology: A footstove is a small heated box or enclosed warmer that people placed under their feet to keep them warm, and "footstoves" is simply its plural. The first part of the compound is the familiar "foot," while "stove" comes from the older sense of an enclosed heated space, a meaning that predates its modern use for cooking appliances. Put together, the word describes a stove for the feet, which is exactly what it was: a portable warmer rather than a device for cooking food.

Synonyms: foot warmer