Other forms: footholds
A foothold is the small ledge a climber puts a foot on. Find a foothold, a secure foothold, lose your foothold.
In climbing it need be no bigger than a thumb's width, and using the edge of the shoe rather than the whole sole is most of the technique. Figuratively a foothold is a first secure position from which to advance — gain a foothold in the market, which is much the commoner use. Note toehold, which is smaller still.
1nounfootholdThe small ledge a climber puts a foot on.
“The climber searched the smooth rock for a foothold.”
2nounfirstA first secure position from which to advance.
“The army established a foothold on the beach and then pushed inland.”
foothold is a secure position.
Foot plus hold, a plain compound. The figurative sense followed the literal one almost at once, as it did for handhold and stronghold.
From foot + hold.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA
Practised in Camping & Outdoors