loof

¹ American  

[loof] / luf /

noun

Scot. and North England.

1. the palm of the hand.

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loof ² American  

[loof] / luf /

noun

Nautical.

1. the tapering of a hull toward the stern.

2. Now Rare. the broad after part of the bows of a vessel.

3. Now Rare. luff.

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Etymology

Origin of loof¹

1300–50; Middle English lofe < Old Norse lōfi, cognate with Gothic lōfa

Origin of loof²

Special uses of loof ¹

Example Sentences

Khobeizah, or common mallow, and loof, a flowering perennial plant with bright green leaves, were some of the edible plants found growing wild that her mother cooked.

From New York Times • Oct. 19, 2022

Mysel', my gear, an' a' that; Mysel', my gear, an' a' that; Come, gie 's your loof to be a proof, Ye 'll be a wife to a' that.

From The Modern Scottish Minstrel, Volume II. The Songs of Scotland of the past half century by Rogers, Charles

"That's not reading the hand at all, goodwife," said I; "those small facts of life are never written in a line across the loof."

From John Splendid The Tale of a Poor Gentleman, and the Little Wars of Lorn by Munro, Neil

Where ance the coggie hirpled fair,  And blithesome poortith toomed the loof There's nae a burnie giglet rare  But blaws in ilka jinking coof.

From The Humorous Poetry of the English Language; from Chaucer to Saxe by Parton, James

I. O lay thy loof in mine, lass, In mine, lass, in mine, lass; And swear on thy white hand, lass, That thou wilt be my ain.

From The Complete Works of Robert Burns: Containing his Poems, Songs, and Correspondence. With a New Life of the Poet, and Notices, Critical and Biographical by Allan Cunningham by Burns, Robert