Walk

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /wɔːk/

Definitions

1. To move forward by placing one foot in front of the other at a moderate pace
2. To progress by alternately shifting weight from one foot to the other in a manner that is slower than running
3. To travel by putting one foot before the other in a steady rhythm, not running ; To go out on foot for relaxation, fitness, or enjoyment

Etymology: Before "walk" meant moving on foot, it meant rolling, turning and tossing. Its Old English ancestors, "wealcan" and "wealcian," described things revolving, rolling up or twisting, and the same root gave Middle English a verb that could mean to full cloth, which involved beating and kneading wet fabric. Over time these senses blurred together into the modern idea of moving along by setting one foot after another. The root reaches well beyond English. German "walken" still means to full or knead, and Dutch "zwalken" means to walk about, showing how the rolling and wandering senses sat side by side across the Germanic languages. Latin "valgus," meaning bow-legged or bent outward, is a distant relative, a reminder that the idea was once tied to a twisting or bending motion.

Synonyms: stroll, hike, amble, march, saunter

Antonyms: run, jog, sprint, dash, speed