loft

[lawft, loft]

noun

1. a room, storage area, or the like within a sloping roof; attic; garret.

2. a gallery or upper level in a church, hall, etc., designed for a special purpose.

   a choir loft.

3. a hayloft.

4. an upper story of a business building, warehouse, or factory, typically consisting of open, unpartitioned floor area.

5. such an upper story converted or adapted to any of various uses, as quarters for living, studios for artists or dancers, exhibition galleries, or theater space.

6. Also called loft bed. a balcony or platform built over a living area and used especially for sleeping.

7. Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S.,  an attic.

8. Golf.

   1. the slope of the face of the head of a club backward from the vertical, tending to drive the ball upward.

   2. the act of lofting.

   3. a lofting stroke.

9. the resiliency of fabric or yarn, especially wool.

10. the thickness of a fabric or of insulation used in a garment, as a down-filled jacket.

verb (used with object)

1. to hit or throw aloft.

   He lofted a fly ball into center field.

2. Golf.

   1. to slant the face of (a club).

   2. to hit (a golf ball) into the air or over an obstacle.

   3. to clear (an obstacle) in this manner.

3. to store in a loft.

4. Shipbuilding.,  to form or describe (the lines of a hull) at full size, as in a mold loft; lay off.

5. Archaic.,  to provide (a house, barn, etc.) with a loft.

verb (used without object)

1. to hit or throw something aloft, especially a ball.

2. to go high into the air when hit, as a ball.

loft

/ lɒft /

noun

1. the space inside a roof

2. a gallery, esp one for the choir in a church

3. a room over a stable used to store hay

4. an upper storey of a warehouse or factory, esp when converted into living space

5. a raised house or coop in which pigeons are kept

6. sport

   1. (in golf) the angle from the vertical made by the club face to give elevation to a ball

   2. elevation imparted to a ball

   3. a lofting stroke or shot

verb

1. sport to strike or kick (a ball) high in the air

2. to store or place in a loft

3. to lay out a full-scale working drawing of (the lines of a vessel's hull)

Other Word Forms

• loftless adjective
• underloft noun
• well-lofted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of loft¹

before 1000; Middle English lofte (noun), late Old English loft < Old Norse lopt upper chamber or region, the air, sky. See lift

Word History and Origins

Origin of loft¹

Late Old English, from Old Norse lopt air, ceiling; compare Old Danish and Old High German loft (German Luft air)

Example Sentences

Because the home had a complex roof and an accessible attic, Warwas then transformed the attic into a loft that Puleo uses as his main bedroom.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Riley’s modern variation of a triple option would work precisely as planned, as Maiava lofted an easy pass to Lyons, who ran 10 yards for his second touchdown in three weeks.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The real trouble came in all that followed, with Blake Treinen giving up one run while loading the bases, before Emmanuel Rivera lofted a two-run single off Tanner Scott to end the game.

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The council said people could get advice on schemes available to help with heating costs ahead of autumn and winter, while eligible households can also get help with loft and cavity wall insulation.

Read more on BBC

When we first interviewed him in the autumn of 2023, his loft space was a building site with exposed beams and tarpaulin covering roof tiles.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• apartment 
• studio