also: ひずめ
noun
hoof
Refers to the hard foot of ungulates such as horses, cows, and deer.
馬の蹄が石に当たって音を立てた。
The horse's hoof hit a stone and made a sound.
牛の蹄をよく見て、病気の兆候がないか確認する。
I carefully examine the cow's hooves to check for signs of illness.
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing.
Irregular kana usage; ひづめ is the standard reading.
爪 refers to claws or nails (e.g., of cats, dogs, humans), while 蹄 is specifically the hard hoof of ungulates.
The kanji 蹄 is composed of 足 (foot) and 帝 (a phonetic component), originally referring to the hoof of an animal. The reading ひづめ is a native Japanese word.