all fours

Baby's crawling position

All fours refers to both hands and both knees, the position of a crawling infant or a four-legged animal: The baby crawled around on all fours.

To get down on all fours is to assume this position, whether searching for something under furniture or in certain sexual contexts.

The phrase also names a card game, though this use is rare today.

crawling

hands

Gripping limbs' extremities

kneesLeg joints with caps
creepingMoving slowly, stealthily
toddlerChild learning to walk

crawling · quadrupedal · scuttling · clambering · floor · baby · mobility · scrambling · padding · crouching

card game

trump

Suit outranking all others

trickDeliberate deception
dealAgreement or distribution
shuffleRandomize by mixing

hand · bid · high · low · jack · game · dealer · eldest · gift · begging

position

prone

Inclined or face-down

kneelingLowering onto bent legs
crouchingBending low, knees bent
stoopingBending body forward

squatting · ground-level · prostrate · bent · grounded · tabletop · yoga · stretching · exercise · labor

Categories

childbirthcontractions, labor, pushing, dilation, birth
Posturessupine, upright, slouch, slump, erect
crawlsarmy crawl, bear crawl, belly crawl, crab walk, commando crawl
card gamespoker, blackjack, solitaire, hearts, spades

Opposites

body posture/position

all foursupright

Vertical or morally sound

standing · erect · standing upright · vertical · standing tall

dignity/formality of posture

all foursstanding tall

Remaining proudly upright

at attention · upright · erect posture · ramrod straight

bipedal vs. quadrupedal stance

all foursbipedal

Having two feet

two-legged · bipedally

Family

all, four, fourteen, foursome, fourteenth, fourfold, quadriceps

Familiarity: Top 100,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G