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aloft

[ uh-lawft, uh-loft ]
/ əˈlɔft, əˈlɒft /
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adverb
high up; far above the ground.
Nautical.
  1. on the masts; in the rigging; overhead.
  2. (on a square-rigged sailing ship) in the upper rigging, specifically, on or above the lower yards (opposed to alow).
in or into the air.
preposition
on or at the top of: flags flying aloft the castle.
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Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as


Origin of aloft

1150–1200; Middle English o loft;<Old Norse ā lopt in the air; see a-1, loft

Words nearby aloft

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use aloft in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for aloft

aloft
/ (əˈlɒft) /

adverb, adjective (postpositive)
in or into a high or higher place; up above
nautical in or into the rigging of a vessel

Word Origin for aloft

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
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