oaf
[ ohf ]
/ oʊf /
noun
a clumsy, stupid person; lout.
a simpleton; dunce; blockhead.
Archaic.
- a deformed or mentally deficient child.
- a changeling.
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Origin of oaf
1615–25; variant of auf, Middle English alfe, Old English ælf elf; cognate with German Alp nightmare
Related formsoaf·ish, adjectiveoaf·ish·ly, adverboaf·ish·ness, noun
Can be confusedoaf oath
Synonym study
1. See boorish.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for oaf
British Dictionary definitions for oaf
oaf
/ (əʊf) /
noun
a stupid or loutish person
Derived Formsoafish, adjectiveoafishly, adverboafishness, noun
Word Origin for oaf
C17: variant of Old English ælf elf
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for oaf
oaf
1620s, auf, oph (modern form from 1630s), "a changeling; a foolish child left by the fairies" [Johnson], from a Scandinavian source, cf. Norwegian alfr "silly person," in Old Norse, "elf" (see elf). Hence, "a misbegotten, deformed idiot." Until recently, some dictionaries still gave the plural as oaves.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper