▪ I. loof, n.1 Sc. and north. dial.
(luf)
Forms: 4–5 lofe, love, loove, 5–6 luif(f, 6 luyff, luff, loofe, 7 luve, 4– lufe, 7– loof. (See also E.D.D.)
[a. ON. lófe wk. masc. = Goth. lōfa; related by ablaut to OHG. laffa blade of an oar, OSl. (Polish, Russian) lapa paw, Lettish lēpa paw.]
The palm of the hand. to creesh one's loof: see creesh v. aff loof adv. phr. = off hand.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 987 Wyth lyȝt louez vplyfte þay loued hym swyþe. 13.. S. Erkenwolde 349 in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1881) 274 Þene wos louynge oure lorde with loves vp haldene. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) vii. 26 Take a litill bawme and lay it on þe lufe of þi hand. a 1400–50 Alexander 2569 (Ashm. MS.) Þe licor in his awen looue [Dublin MS. lofe], þe lettir in þe tothire. c 1460 Towneley Myst. iii. 462 Noe. I may towch with my lufe the grownd evyn here. c 1470 Henryson Mor. Fables 2072 in Anglia IX. 466, I sall of it mak mittenis to my lufis, Till hald my handis hait quhair euer I be. 1513 Douglas æneis viii. ii. 5 And in the holl luffis of his hand, quhair he stude, Dewly the wattir hynt he fra the flude. 1562 Turner Herbal ii. 108 They be as big as a man can grype in the palm or loofe of his hande. 1573 Satir. Poems Reform. xxxix. 203 The suddartis luiffis wes as ouirlaid w{supt} lyme. c 1620 Z. Boyd Zion's Flowers (1855) 54 If in your loof yee all this silver had. 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1862) I. 198 We are fools to be browden and fond of a pawn in the loof of our hand. 1721 Ramsay Lucky Spence xii, Wi' well-creesh'd loofs I hae been canty. 1728 ― Rob. Rich. & Sandy 62 (1877) II. 8 A canty tale he'd tell aff loof. 1792 Burns Willie's Wife iv, Auld baudrons by the ingle sits, An' wi' her loof her face a-washin. 1830 Galt Lawrie T. vii. vii. (1849) 335 Though the case were as plain as my loofe. 1855 Robinson Whitby Gloss. s.v., Give us thy lufe, not thy fist. 1896 Barrie Sentim. Tommy xix. 215 Using the loof of his hand as a spoon. |
Hence loof-ful Sc., a handful.
| c 1540 Lyndesay Kittie's Conf. 90 Curnis of meil, and luffillis of Malt. 1728 P. Walker Life Peden (1827) 61 Waving his Hand to the West, from whence he desired the Wind, said, Lord, give us a Loof-full of Wind. |
▪ II. loof, n.2 and v.
See luff n. and v.
▪ III. loof, n.3
(luːf)
Also louff, lough.
[a. Arab. lūf (see loofah).]
= loofah.
| 1865 Pall Mall G. 4 Aug. 3/2 A good rough Baden-Baden towel, or the Lough used in the Turkish bath. 1870 Treas. Bot., Louff. Luffa ægyptiaca. 1897 Webster, Loof. |
▪ IV. † loof, adv. Obs.
= aloof, at a distance.
| 1555–8 T. Phaer æneid i. A j, There was a towne of auncient tyme Carthago of old it hight, Against Italia and Tybers mouthe laie loof at seas aright. Ibid. iii. F iij, There lieth a lond far loof at seas, wher Mars is lord. 1557–8 Ibid. vii. U j b, Him wandring loof astray. |
▪ V. loof
obs. form of loaf n.1