aloft

[ uh-lawft, uh-loft ]
See synonyms for aloft on Thesaurus.com
adverb
  1. high up; far above the ground.

  2. Nautical.

    • on the masts; in the rigging; overhead.

    • (on a square-rigged sailing ship) in the upper rigging, specifically, on or above the lower yards (opposed to alow).

  1. in or into the air.

preposition
  1. on or at the top of: flags flying aloft the castle.

Origin of aloft

1
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English o loft, from Old Norse ā lopt “in the air”; equivalent to a-1 + loft

Words Nearby aloft

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use aloft in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for aloft

aloft

/ (əˈlɒft) /


adverb, adjective(postpositive)
  1. in or into a high or higher place; up above

  2. nautical in or into the rigging of a vessel

Origin of aloft

1
C12: from Old Norse ā lopt in the air; see lift 1, loft

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012