Make Your Editor Cry: Hoof (Awkward Plural)

Make Your Editor Cry: Hoof (Awkward Plural)

BLUF: (Bottom Line Up Front)
The plural of hoof is hooves or rarely hoofs.

The definition of hoof: a curved covering of horn that protects the front of or encloses the ends of the digits of an ungulate mammal and that corresponds to a nail or claw

The singular of hoof is hoof. The plural of hoof is hooves or less commonly hoofs. You can use either, just be consistent throughout the entire text. The noun hoof conforms to the standard rules for forming the plurals of nouns in English.

”Horse thunder” is what I call the sound of galloping hoofs. (John Fusco)
Hooves have also been used in the manufacture of high—end glues.