luff

luff
luff (n.) c.1200, in sailing, from O.Fr. lof "spar," or some other nautical device, "point of sail," also "windward side," probably from Germanic (Cf. M.Du. lof "windward side of a ship" (Du. loef), which might also be the direct source of the English word), from P.Gmc. *lofo (Cf. O.N. lofi, Goth. lofa "palm of the hand," Dan. lab, Swed. labb "paw"), from PIE *lep- "to be flat" (see GLOVE (Cf. glove)). As a verb from late 14c., from the noun.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Luff — (l[u^]f), n. [OE. lof, prob. a sort of timber by which the course of a ship was directed, perh. a sort of paddle; cf. D. loef luff, loeven to luff. The word is perh. akin to E. glove. Cf. {Aloof}.] (Naut.) (a) The side of a ship toward the wind.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Luff — or luffing may refer to:* Luffing, when a sailing sheet is eased so far past trim that airflow over the surface is disrupted * The leading edge of a sail * Luffing crane, a type of crane where the jib, rather than being fixed, can be raised and… …   Wikipedia

  • Luff — (l[u^]f), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Luffed} (l[u^]ft); p. pr. & vb. n. {Luffing}.] 1. (Naut.) To turn the head of a vessel toward the wind; to sail nearer the wind; to turn the tiller so as to make the vessel sail nearer the wind. [1913 Webster] 2.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • luff — ► NOUN Sailing ▪ the edge of a fore and aft sail next to the mast or stay. ► VERB 1) steer (a yacht) nearer the wind. 2) raise or lower (the jib of a crane). ORIGIN Old French lof …   English terms dictionary

  • luff — [luf] n. [ME lof < ODu loef, weather side (of a ship), auxiliary oar for steering, akin to ON lōfi, palm of the hand < IE base * lēp , *lōp , flat object, flat hand > OHG lappo, flat hand, rudder blade, Russ lopata, a shovel, rudder… …   English World dictionary

  • LUFF — Lausanne Underground Film and Music Festival Le Lausanne Underground Film and Music Festival, ou LUFF, est un festival de cinéma et de musique underground qui se tient chaque année à Lausanne, en Suisse. À l origine du LUFF a été créée l… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • luff — 1. noun The vertical edge of a sail that is closest to the direction of the wind. By easing the halyard the luff of the sail sagged to leeward. 2. verb …   Wiktionary

  • luff — Loof Loof (l[=oo]f or l[u^]f; 277), n. [See {Luff}.] [Also written {luff}.] (Naut.) (a) Formerly, some appurtenance of a vessel which was used in changing her course; probably a large paddle put over the lee bow to help bring her head nearer to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Luff — This is an English surname. Recorded as Love, Luff, and Louve, it has at least two possible origins. The first is as a derivative of the Olde English pre 7th century personal name Lufa which is recorded in the Feudal Documents of the Abbey of… …   Surnames reference

  • luff — /lʌf/ (say luf) Nautical –noun 1. the forward edge of a fore and aft sail. –verb (i) 2. Also, luff up. to bring the head of a sailing vessel closer to or directly into the wind, with sails shaking. 3. to alter the angle of the jib of a crane, and …  

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”