Hotfoot

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. A practical joke involving a small fire placed on someone's foot to make them jump ; a swift or sudden leaving of a place often to avoid trouble
2. A trick played by lighting material on a foot to cause a quick, startled reaction ; a rapid exit or quick getaway made in haste
3. An act of lighting a person's foot to startle them ; the hurried act of moving away from a location without delay

Etymology: "Hotfoot" is a compound of "hot" and "foot," and its original sense was literal: to move with hurried, hot-footed haste. The Middle English form "hot-fot" was built from those same two words, with no further borrowing or change in meaning behind it. The earlier English sense of the phrase described running in a hurry, as though one's feet were burning. Over time the verb settled into its current sense of leaving quickly, often with a sense of urgency or flight. The construction is a plain, transparent compound, so the image of hurried feet carries the whole meaning.

Synonyms: hurry, rush, speed, dash, race

Antonyms: linger, delay, dawdle, tarry