Clubfooted

/ˈklʌbˌfʊtəd/ adjective

Definition

Having a clubfoot or clubfeet; affected by the congenital foot deformity; also used metaphorically to mean clumsy or awkward.

Etymology

From 'clubfoot' (the deformity) plus the suffix '-ed' (meaning 'having' or 'affected by'). Used medically since the 16th century and metaphorically to suggest awkwardness or inability.

Kelly Says

Byron's clubfoot was actually an inspiration for much of his dramatic, Romantic poetry—he felt like an outsider, which made him brilliant at writing about outcasts and forbidden love, so a disability became intertwined with literary genius.

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