"feet of clay" meaning in English

See feet of clay in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Audio: en-au-feet of clay.ogg
Etymology: Used in the Bible, part of the description of the huge statue in the dream of Chaldean King Nebuchadnezzar. Head templates: {{en-noun|p}} feet of clay pl (plural only)
  1. (idiomatic) In someone apparently strong and without failings, a hidden weakness which could lead to downfall. Tags: idiomatic, plural, plural-only Related terms: Achilles heel Translations (a hidden weak point): πόδες ὀστράκινοι (pódes ostrákinoi) [masculine, plural] (Ancient Greek), 泥足巨人 (nízújùrén) (Chinese Mandarin), lerfødder [plural] (Danish), savijalat [plural] (Finnish), pieds d’argile [masculine] (French), tönerne Füße [masculine, plural] (German), pedes fictiles [masculine, plural] (Latin), leirføtter [plural] (Norwegian Bokmål), гли́няные но́ги (glínjanyje nógi) [feminine, plural] (Russian), pies de barro [masculine, plural] (Spanish), гли́няні но́ги (hlýnjani nóhy) [feminine, plural] (Ukrainian)
{
  "etymology_text": "Used in the Bible, part of the description of the huge statue in the dream of Chaldean King Nebuchadnezzar.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "p"
      },
      "expansion": "feet of clay pl (plural only)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English pluralia tantum",
          "parents": [
            "Pluralia tantum",
            "Nouns",
            "Lemmas"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Finnish links with redundant wikilinks",
          "parents": [
            "Links with redundant wikilinks",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Polish links with redundant wikilinks",
          "parents": [
            "Links with redundant wikilinks",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Ancient Greek translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Danish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Latin translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Ukrainian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "He was disillusioned to find that even Lincoln had feet of clay.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1814, Lord Byron, Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte:",
          "text": "Those Pagod things of sabre-sway, / With fronts of brass, and feet of clay.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1980, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson (lyrics and music), “Happy New Year”, in Super Trouper, performed by Abba:",
          "text": "Oh yes, man is a fool / And he thinks he'll be okay / Dragging on, feet of clay",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "In someone apparently strong and without failings, a hidden weakness which could lead to downfall."
      ],
      "id": "en-feet_of_clay-en-noun-25-2DVoA",
      "links": [
        [
          "strong",
          "strong"
        ],
        [
          "failing",
          "failing"
        ],
        [
          "hidden",
          "hidden"
        ],
        [
          "weakness",
          "weakness"
        ],
        [
          "downfall",
          "downfall"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) In someone apparently strong and without failings, a hidden weakness which could lead to downfall."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "Achilles heel"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "plural",
        "plural-only"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "nízújùrén",
          "sense": "a hidden weak point",
          "word": "泥足巨人"
        },
        {
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "a hidden weak point",
          "tags": [
            "plural"
          ],
          "word": "lerfødder"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "a hidden weak point",
          "tags": [
            "plural"
          ],
          "word": "savijalat"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "a hidden weak point",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "pieds d’argile"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "a hidden weak point",
          "tags": [
            "masculine",
            "plural"
          ],
          "word": "tönerne Füße"
        },
        {
          "code": "grc",
          "lang": "Ancient Greek",
          "roman": "pódes ostrákinoi",
          "sense": "a hidden weak point",
          "tags": [
            "masculine",
            "plural"
          ],
          "word": "πόδες ὀστράκινοι"
        },
        {
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "a hidden weak point",
          "tags": [
            "masculine",
            "plural"
          ],
          "word": "pedes fictiles"
        },
        {
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "a hidden weak point",
          "tags": [
            "plural"
          ],
          "word": "leirføtter"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "note": "na glinianych nogach (almost always in collocation with kolos)",
          "sense": "a hidden weak point"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "glínjanyje nógi",
          "sense": "a hidden weak point",
          "tags": [
            "feminine",
            "plural"
          ],
          "word": "гли́няные но́ги"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "a hidden weak point",
          "tags": [
            "masculine",
            "plural"
          ],
          "word": "pies de barro"
        },
        {
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "hlýnjani nóhy",
          "sense": "a hidden weak point",
          "tags": [
            "feminine",
            "plural"
          ],
          "word": "гли́няні но́ги"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-feet of clay.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e8/En-au-feet_of_clay.ogg/En-au-feet_of_clay.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/En-au-feet_of_clay.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "feet of clay"
}
{
  "etymology_text": "Used in the Bible, part of the description of the huge statue in the dream of Chaldean King Nebuchadnezzar.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "p"
      },
      "expansion": "feet of clay pl (plural only)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "Achilles heel"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English nouns",
        "English pluralia tantum",
        "English terms derived from the Bible",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "Entries with translation boxes",
        "Finnish links with redundant wikilinks",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Polish links with redundant wikilinks",
        "Terms with Ancient Greek translations",
        "Terms with Danish translations",
        "Terms with Finnish translations",
        "Terms with French translations",
        "Terms with German translations",
        "Terms with Latin translations",
        "Terms with Mandarin translations",
        "Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations",
        "Terms with Polish translations",
        "Terms with Russian translations",
        "Terms with Spanish translations",
        "Terms with Ukrainian translations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "He was disillusioned to find that even Lincoln had feet of clay.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1814, Lord Byron, Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte:",
          "text": "Those Pagod things of sabre-sway, / With fronts of brass, and feet of clay.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1980, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson (lyrics and music), “Happy New Year”, in Super Trouper, performed by Abba:",
          "text": "Oh yes, man is a fool / And he thinks he'll be okay / Dragging on, feet of clay",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "In someone apparently strong and without failings, a hidden weakness which could lead to downfall."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "strong",
          "strong"
        ],
        [
          "failing",
          "failing"
        ],
        [
          "hidden",
          "hidden"
        ],
        [
          "weakness",
          "weakness"
        ],
        [
          "downfall",
          "downfall"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) In someone apparently strong and without failings, a hidden weakness which could lead to downfall."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "plural",
        "plural-only"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-feet of clay.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e8/En-au-feet_of_clay.ogg/En-au-feet_of_clay.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/En-au-feet_of_clay.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "nízújùrén",
      "sense": "a hidden weak point",
      "word": "泥足巨人"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "a hidden weak point",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "lerfødder"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "a hidden weak point",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "savijalat"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "a hidden weak point",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pieds d’argile"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "a hidden weak point",
      "tags": [
        "masculine",
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "tönerne Füße"
    },
    {
      "code": "grc",
      "lang": "Ancient Greek",
      "roman": "pódes ostrákinoi",
      "sense": "a hidden weak point",
      "tags": [
        "masculine",
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "πόδες ὀστράκινοι"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "a hidden weak point",
      "tags": [
        "masculine",
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "pedes fictiles"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "a hidden weak point",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "leirføtter"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "note": "na glinianych nogach (almost always in collocation with kolos)",
      "sense": "a hidden weak point"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "glínjanyje nógi",
      "sense": "a hidden weak point",
      "tags": [
        "feminine",
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "гли́няные но́ги"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "a hidden weak point",
      "tags": [
        "masculine",
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "pies de barro"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "hlýnjani nóhy",
      "sense": "a hidden weak point",
      "tags": [
        "feminine",
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "гли́няні но́ги"
    }
  ],
  "word": "feet of clay"
}

Download raw JSONL data for feet of clay meaning in English (4.0kB)

{
  "called_from": "translations/609-20230504",
  "msg": "Translation too long compared to word, so it is skipped",
  "path": [
    "feet of clay"
  ],
  "section": "English",
  "subsection": "noun",
  "title": "feet of clay",
  "trace": ""
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.