noun
foot soldier (Edo period); samurai on foot
Historical term for a low-ranking foot soldier in the Edo period; not used in modern military contexts.
江戸時代、徒は下級の武士だった。
In the Edo period, kachi were low-ranking samurai.
noun
Only when written 徒 / 徒歩 / 歩 / 歩行
Archaic noun meaning walking or traveling by foot; replaced by modern words like 徒歩 (とほ) or 歩行 (ほこう).
See also: 徒歩
昔は長い距離を徒で旅したものだ。
In the old days, people traveled long distances on foot.
Archaic single-character spelling for walking; easily confused with other readings.
Archaic spelling for walking; modern reading is ほこう.
Derived from the verb 歩く (あるく) or an older form meaning 'to walk'. The foot-soldier sense developed from the idea of a warrior who fights on foot rather than on horseback.