from head to toe

Encompassing one's entire body; from top to bottom. Typically refers to how one is dressed and groomed. This is a fancy event, so you need to look good from head to toe. Schedule a haircut and shine your shoes. We're going to church today, so be sure to clean the kids from head to toe. A: "Are you getting your hair done?" B: "Of course. For a gala event like this, you have to look glamorous from head to toe."

See also: head, to, toe

head to toe

Encompassing one's entire body; top to bottom. Typically refers to how one is dressed and groomed. This is a fancy event, so you need to look good from head to toe. Schedule a haircut and shine your shoes. We're going to church today, so be sure to clean the kids from head to toe. A: "Are you getting your hair done?" B: "Of course. For a gala event like this, you have to look glamorous from head to toe."

See also: head, to, toe

from head to toe

Fig. from the top of one's head to one's feet. She was decked out in flowers from head to toe. The huge parka covered the small child from head to toe, assuring that she would be well-protected against the cold.

See also: head, to, toe

from head to toe

Also, from head to heels or foot ; from tip or top to toe . Over the entire body, in its entirety. For example, He was dressed in black from head to toe, or She ached all over, from tip to toe. These expressions date from ancient times. The alliterative head to heels originated about 1400, and Shakespeare had "from top to toe" in Hamlet (1:2).

See also: head, to, toe

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

from head to toe

from head to foot

COMMON You use from head to toe or from head to foot to talk about the whole of someone's body. She was covered from head to toe with black and blue marks. She was trembling from head to foot. Note: You can also just say head to toe or head to foot. She was dressed head to toe in black. The boy is wrapped head to foot in a green blanket. Note: You can use head-to-toe or head-to-foot before a noun. He turned up clad in head-to-toe black. Standing against the wall was this man in head-to-foot leather. Compare with from top to toe.

See also: head, to, toe

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

from head to toe (or foot)

all over your body.

See also: head, to, toe

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

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References in periodicals archive

The bureaucracy, soaked in the ocean of corruption from head to toe, deserves them.

From head to toe

? Staff from Oliver & Co got in the spirit of things as they were covered from head to toe in a blast of colour as they sampled the coloured powder paint for this year's Foamtastic Colour Blast

Solicitors show colours for charity

Services like Head To Toe are a real morale boost for cancer patients when they are going through their treatment.

Head to Toe help for cancer sufferers; Service to give women a boost in confidence

But with Kamigata's Head to Toe package you can enjoy both, topped off with a head massage and blow dry, all for pounds 99.

is it worth it? Karen Price tried the new Head to Toe package at Kamigata, Cardiff

* The shaving authorities from Anthony Logistics For Men bring their expertise to the women's side of the sink with the launches of a new unisex line, Shaveworks, starting with The Cool Fix ($25), a targeted all-in-one gel lotion that fights razor burn irritation, redness and everyday common hair removal woes from head to toe, says the company.

Shaveworks debuts The Cool Fix

The base of the blind uses 1/2-inch closed cell foam to insulate the user from head to toe against wet and cold.

Mobile ground blind

I'm a sucker for punishment though and before I knew it I was being scrubbed and sprayed from head to toe in brown liquid.

Getting myself an all-over tan - St Tropez style

Kimi is motivated from head to toe and I know he is not thinking of retiring."

Motor Racing: IN BRIEF - Raikkonen quit rumour 'not true'

Dressed from head to toe in glittering gold, the fab five kicked off the UK leg of their world tour in front of a sell-out crowd at London's O2 arena last night.

GO LD SPICE; THE RETURN OF THE SPICE GIRLS Fab five hit stage for first UK gig in 9 years LIVE from the O2 Dome

To give yourself the gift of health, work your heart and lungs every day and exercise muscles head to toe three times a week to improve balance and help prevent falls.

The gift of living well

A few glamorous additions will ensure you continue to sparkle from head to toe.

Cheap Chic; Best Buys GET THE CATWALK LOOK AT HIGHSTREET PRICES

At the game's end, most players are plastered with mud from head to toe. The uniforms would give any laundry detergent a stain-fighting workout.

Swamp soccer

On or off duty Streicher's is prepared to equip you, your squad, or your entire department from head to toe with a wide variety of equipment, gear, and accessories.

Streicher's

Designed to detect narcotics or explosives, the unit screens individuals from head to toe in one step to reduce customer waiting time.

Trace detector portal

Especially sweet smelling is the Cucumber Mango Head to Toe Foamy Wash.

Rub-a-dub time