English▸ verb
1 [no object, usually with adverbial] move at a regular pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn, never having both feet off the ground at once:
I walked across the lawn
she turned and walked a few paces
his car had broken down and he'd had to walk.
▪ go on foot for recreation and exercise:
you can walk in 21,000 acres of moorland.
▪ [with object] travel over (a route or area) on foot:
the police department has encouraged officers to walk the beat.
▪ move in a similar way to walking, but using one's hands or a support such as stilts:
he could walk on his hands carrying a plate on one foot.
▪ (of a quadruped) proceed with the slowest gait, always having at least two feet on the ground at once.
▪ [with object] ride (a horse) at the slowest pace:
he walked his horse towards her.
2 [with object and adverbial of direction] guide, accompany, or escort (someone) on foot:
he walked her home to her door
a meeting to walk parents through the complaint process figurative.
▪ [with object] take (a dog) out for exercise:
she spotted a man walking his retriever.
▪ [with object] train and look after (a hound puppy).
3 [no object] informal (of a thing) go missing or be stolen:
customers have to leave a deposit to ensure the beer glasses don't walk.
4 [no object] North American English informal abandon or suddenly withdraw from a job or commitment:
he was in place as the male lead but walked at the eleventh hour.
▪ be released from suspicion or from a charge:
had any of the others come clean during the trial, he might have walked.
6 [no object] Baseball reach first base automatically after not hitting at four balls pitched outside the strike zone.
▪ [with object] allow or enable (a batter) to walk.
▸ noun
1 an act of travelling or an outing on foot:
he was too restless to sleep, so he went out for a walk.
▪ [in singular] used to indicate the time that it will take to reach a place on foot or the distance to be travelled:
the library is within five minutes' walk.
2 a route recommended or marked out for recreational walking:
there are picnic places and waymarked walks.
▪ a path:
the street lamps illuminated the riverside walk.
▪ mainly British English the round followed by a postman:
the first job is to sort the mail into routes or walks.
3 [in singular] an unhurried rate of movement on foot:
they crossed the field at a leisurely walk.
▪ the slowest gait of an animal:
she reined her horse to a slow walk.
▪ a person's manner of walking:
the spring was back in his walk.
– PHRASES
walking encyclopedia (also walking dictionary) informal
a person who has an impressive knowledge of facts or words:
a person who has an impressive knowledge of facts or words:
he was a walking encyclopedia of facts on organized crime.
a walk in the park informal
something that is very easy to accomplish:
something that is very easy to accomplish:
as any director will tell you, doing Shakespeare isn't a walk in the park.
walk of life /ˌwɔːk əv ˈlʌɪf 
/
a person's occupation or position within society:
a person's occupation or position within society:
the courses attracted people from all walks of life.
walk of shame informal
an instance of walking back home on the day after an unplanned casual sexual encounter, typically dressed in the same clothes as the previous evening:
an instance of walking back home on the day after an unplanned casual sexual encounter, typically dressed in the same clothes as the previous evening:
if you're at his and have to make the dreaded walk of shame home, steel yourself.
walk on eggshells
be extremely cautious about one's words or actions:
be extremely cautious about one's words or actions:
his air of tetchy perfectionism encouraged those around him to walk on eggshells.
– PHRASAL VERBS
walk away /ˌwɔːk əˈweɪ / casually or irresponsibly withdraw from a situation in which one is involved or for which one is responsible:
they can walk away from the deal and leave the other person stranded
the department's intention is to develop this site and then walk away.
walk away with
1 (walk away with something) steal something:
a group of corporate cowboys who walked away with millions of dollars.
walk back (walk something back, walk back something) mainly US English retract a statement or reverse an action or decision:
senior members of the administration tried to walk back her comments.
walk for (walk for someone or something) model the clothes of a particular designer or fashion house at a fashion show:
she's walked for Chanel and Vivienne Westwood.
walk in on (walk in on someone or something) come upon a person or situation suddenly or unexpectedly:
he was clearly not expecting her to walk in on him just then.
walk into
1 (walk into something) become involved in something through ignorance or carelessness:
I had walked into a situation from which there was no escape.
2 (walk into something) achieve a state or position easily or undeservedly:
no one has the right to walk straight into a well-paid job for life.
walk off (walk something off, walk off something) take a walk in order to undo the effects of a heavy meal:
enjoy some invigorating fresh air and walk off the excesses of the festive season.
walk out /ˌwɔːk ˈaʊt /
1 depart or leave suddenly or angrily:
he had walked out in a temper
he walked out after finding the pressure of the job too much.
▪ abandon someone or something despite having responsibilities towards them:
he walked out on his wife.
▪ go on strike:
teachers are ready to walk out in a protest over class sizes.
2 British English informal, dated go for walks when courting or dating someone:
you were walking out with Tom.
walk over /ˌwɔːk ˈəʊvə / treat someone in an inconsiderate or exploitative manner:
people always walked over him and didn't treat him with respect
don't let the cops walk all over you.
▪ defeat someone easily:
a slippery, trickier competitor could walk over them.
walk through
1 (walk someone through something) guide someone carefully through a process:
a meeting to walk parents through the complaint process.
2 (walk through something) rehearse a play or other piece, reading the lines aloud from a script and performing the actions of the characters:
he walked through the script with me.
– ORIGIN Old English wealcan ‘roll, toss’, also ‘wander’, of Germanic origin. The sense ‘move about’, and specifically ‘go about on foot’, arose in Middle English.