aloft, adv. and prep.
(əˈlɒft)
Forms: 3 o lofft, 3–5 o loft, o lofte, 4–7 a lofte, 4– a loft, aloft. Also expanded: 3 inne þe lofte, 2–5 on the lofte, 4 on þe loft, 4–5 on lofte, 4–6 on loft.
[a. ON. á lopt of motion, á lopti of position (EE. o loft and o lofte), f. á, in, on, to + lopt, air, atmosphere, sky, heaven, upper floor, loft (Dan. lofts), cogn. w. Goth. luftus, OHG. luft, OE. lyft, air, etc. (In Eng. the distinction of motion and position, a loft and a lofte, was lost with the mutescence of final e.) Really equivalent to OE. on þá lyft, on þǽre lyfte, ME. on þe lufte, on þe lyft(e, ‘into, in the air,’ but while the latter never acquired the merely local sense of ‘on high, up,’ this became from the first the special sense of a loft. Some mixture of forms is probable in the expanded in the lofte, on the lofte, on lofte.]
† 1. In the atmosphere or space above the earth.
| c 1200 Moral Ode 83 He makede fisses in þe se and fuȝeles in þe lifte [v.r. inne þe lofte, on þe lofte, in þe lufte]. |
† 2. In the visible sky, above the horizon, up, as a star. Obs.
| c 1340 Alex. & Dind. 122 And reed gan schine þat his lem on þe loft liȝht ȝaf aboute. c 1400 Epiph. (Turnb. 1843) 118 For this day aloft was the sterre. 1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. (1586) 53 b, The moone being aloft and not sette. |
† 3. fig. In the ascendant, ruling, prevailing, up. Obs.
| c 1400 ‘Chaucer's’ Test. Love ii. (1560) 291/1 Kindely heaven, when merie weather is a lofte, appeareth..in Blewe. c 1430 How the good Wyf 74 in Babees Bk. 39 If þou be in place where good ale is on lofte. 1601 Holland Pliny (1634) I. 24 The Sun raiseth..windes. At rising and setting hee causeth them to be aloft. |
4. In heaven; ‘on high.’ arch. (cf. 12.)
| c 1386 Chaucer Man of Law's T. 179 My souerayn plesance, Ouer alle thyng (out taken crist on lofte). 1577 St. Augustine's Man. 65 The day-spryng hath visited us from aloft. 1596 Chapman Iliad vii. 85 But conquest's garlands hang aloft, amongst th' immortal Gods. 1774 R. Lloyd Hymn to Apollo, Aloft in heaven imperial Juno sat. c 1800 Dibdin, There's a sweet little cherub that sits up aloft, To keep watch for the life of poor Jack. |
5. gen. High above the earth, on high; at a great elevation relatively; high up.
| c 1200 Ormin 11961 Wiþþuten o þe temmple..þær wass greȝȝþed sæte o lofft. c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. B. 1183 For þe borȝ watȝ so bygge baytayled alofte. c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. iv. 80 A sadder vyne a bigger stake olofte Mot holde. c 1450 Henryson Mor. Fables 56 The Larke on loft with other birdes haill. 1535 Coverdale Ps. ciii. 8 Then are the hilles sene alofte. 1580 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 221 A feather..sette a loft in a woemans hatte. 1663 Butler Hudibr. i. iii. 575 Thrice have they seen your Sword aloft Wav'd o're their Heads. 1711 Pope Temp. Fame 483 Fame sits aloft, and points them out their course. 1860 Tyndall Glac. ii. §8. 265 Vast masses of granite are thus poised aloft on icy pedestals. |
† b. On horseback or in a vehicle; opposed to afoot. Obs.
| c 1400 Ywaine & Gaw. 2532 Than sighed Ywain wonder oft, Unnethes might he syt oloft. 1654 Ussher Annals v. (1658) 43 Besides those which fought aloft from the Chariots. |
† c. Extant, standing; not thrown down. Obs. rare.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy ii. 349 To this souerayne Citie þat yet was olofte Iason aioynid. |
† 6. Above geographically; higher up on the same plane. Obs. rare.
| 1805 Nelson in Nicolas Disp. VI. 477 The Frigates are ordered from aloft [i.e. the upper part of the Mediterranean] to join you. |
† 7. On the top, atop, on the surface. Obs.
| c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. i. 1088 So that the flamme upbende The celles forto chere and chaufe olofte. 1523 Fitzherb. Husb. cxxviii, They cast and lay grauell aloft. 1587 Holinshed Chron. I. 43/1 And aloft therevpon she had a thicke Irish mantell. 1667 H. More Div. Dial. iv. xxxiv. (1713) 387 Where's your Oil now..that floats aloft? 1718 Pope Iliad xxiv. 997 Forth to the pile was borne the man divine, And placed aloft. |
8. fig. On high in rank, power, estimation, etc.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. Prol. 157 We myȝte be lordes aloft. c 1400 Rom. Rose 5506 They saw hem set on loft, And weren of hem succoured oft. 1552–5 Latimer Serm. & Rem. (1845) 51 Bilney..was induced to bear a fagot..when the cardinal was aloft and bore the swing. 1851 Hussey Papal Power i. 20 A high and mighty personage seated aloft somewhere. |
† 9. In a lofty tone, loftily. Obs.
| 1613 Purchas Pilgr. I. vi. xii. 531 Speake aloft and prowdley. |
10. Of direction: Into the air, or from the ground; up, upward, on high.
| c 1200 Ormin 11823 Crist þolede þe deofell To brinngenn himm heȝhe upp o lofft. 1330 R. Brunne Chron. 274 Þe erles of Scotlond had reysed baner oloft. 1430 Lydg. Thebes 33 in Dom. Arch. III. 111 To a chamber she led him vp alofte. c 1588 Greene Fr. Bacon ii, A whirlwind..mounted me aloft unto the clouds. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 226 With expanded wings he stears his flight Aloft. 1725 De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 207 Blow her aloft in the air. 1877 W. Lytteil Landm. ii. ii. 88 A steep bluff crag..towers aloft. |
b. To heaven. arch. (cf. 12.)
| 1692 E. Walker Epictetus Mor. (1737) Introd., His rich Soul aloft did soar. c 1800 Dibdin Tom Bowling, For though his body's under hatches, His soul is gone aloft. |
11. fig. Up in rank, estimation, feeling, etc.
| c 1200 Ormin 11849 Te laþe gast Aȝȝ eggeþ hise þeowwess, To draȝȝhenn hemm aȝȝ upp o lofft. 1300 E.E. Psalter lxxiv. 8 Þis mekes he ful ofte, And þis up-heves he o-lofte. 1567 Jewel Def. Apol. (1611) 386 But afterward the Popes began to looke aloft. 1836 J. Gilbert Chr. Atonem. ii. (1852) 41 The very principles which bore aloft your spirits. |
12. Naut. On or to a higher part of a ship; as the mast, the mast head, the rigging generally, in reference to the deck; or the deck as opposed to below.
| 1330 R. Brunne Chron. 169 Þe saile was hie o loft. 1509 Barclay Ship of Fooles (1570) 251 Our sayles are a loft, Our ship flyes swiftly. 1629 Gaule Holy Madn. 210 Come a loft Jack. 1762 Falconer Shipwr. i. 697 Rous'd from repose, aloft the sailors swarm. 1813 Southey Nelson iii. 82 So cut up, that she could not get a topmast aloft during the night. 1836 Marryat Midship. Easy xiii. 47 The men had come from aloft, and Jack was summoned on deck. |
† B. prep. On the top or summit of; above, over.
| 1509 Hawes Past. Pl. xxxviii. iii, Alofte the basse toure foure ymages stode. 1595 Shakes. John iv. ii. 139 But now I breath againe Aloft the flood. 1600 Chapman Iliad xix. 93 They bear her still aloft men's heads. 1613 Campion in Arber Garn. III. 279 Aloft the trees..Our silent harps we pensive hung. |