Foothold

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Foothold \Foot"hold`\, n.
     A holding with the feet; firm standing; that on which one may
     tread or rest securely; footing. --L'Estrange.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:



  foothold
       n 1: an area in hostile territory that has been captured and is
            held awaiting further troops and supplies; "an attempt
            to secure a bridgehead behind enemy lines"; "the only
            foothold left for British troops in Europe was
            Gibraltar" [syn: {bridgehead}]
       2: a place providing support for the foot in standing or
          climbing [syn: {footing}]
       3: an initial accomplishment that opens the way for further
          developments; "the town became a beachhead in the campaign
          to ban smoking outdoors"; "they are presently attempting
          to gain a foothold in the Russian market" [syn: {beachhead}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  36 Moby Thesaurus words for "foothold":
     advantage, bear hug, bite, clamp, clasp, clench, clinch, cling,
     clinging, clutch, death grip, embrace, firm hold, footing,
     footplate, footrail, footrest, grapple, grasp, grip, gripe, hold,
     hug, iron grip, locus standi, nip, perch, purchase, seizure,
     stance, stand, standing, standing place, tight grip, toehold,
     traction