doffer

American  

[dof-er, daw-fer] / ˈdɒf ər, ˈdɔ fər /

noun

1. a person or thing that doffs.

2. Textiles.

   1. a wire-clothed roller on a carding machine, especially the roller to which the carded fibers are transferred from the cylinder and then prepared for conversion into sliver.

   2. any roller that removes the fibers from another roller.

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Etymology

Origin of doffer

First recorded in 1815–25; doff + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Teddy Roosevelt was a pointer, too, and a serial hat doffer.

From Washington Post • Mar. 16, 2019

“I want to be a doffer, Lyddie,” Rachel said.

From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson

“Brigid says her little sister is a doffer and she’s no bigger than me.”

From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson

Yet his smile was fleeting, and his only comment a reprimand to "Jack doffer" for his carelessness.

From Reels and Spindles A Story of Mill Life by Merrill, Frank T. (Frank Thayer)

Robinson, after telling how she entered the Lowell Mills as a "doffer," when a child, gave a brilliant description of the intellectual life and interests of the workers.

From Women Wage-Earners Their Past, Their Present, and Their Future by Campbell, Helen