Dictionary

footbinding en · NOUN

Etymology

From foot + binding.

Meanings

1. (countable, historical, uncountable) The old Chinese custom of binding women's feet with cloth to prevent them from growing with age.
   • More recent studies have shown that foot-binding was likely practiced not purely for the sake of marriage, but also to keep girls at home and engaged in handicrafts, such as spinning cotton, in order to contribute to their family’s income. 2020 February 14, Antonia Malchik, “The Neglected Consequences of Foot-Binding”, in The Atlantic:
2. (countable, uncountable) The material used to bind feet for this reason.

Forms

Relateds

lotus foot

Translations (14)

cmn 纏腳 /缠脚 (binding of women's feet) · ru бинтова́ние ног (binding of women's feet) · yue 纏腳 /缠脚 (binding of women's feet) · nan-hbl 縛跤 /缚跤 (binding of women's feet) · cmn 纏足 /缠足 (binding of women's feet) · es vendado de pies (binding of women's feet) · es vendado podal (binding of women's feet) · yue 紮腳 /扎脚 (binding of women's feet) · ko 전족 (binding of women's feet) · ja 纏足 (binding of women's feet) · cmn 裹腳 /裹脚 (binding of women's feet) · fr pieds bandés (binding of women's feet) · fi jalkojen sitominen (binding of women's feet) · de Füßebinden (binding of women's feet)