Loof
/luːf/noun
A nautical term referring to the windward side of a vessel or to turning a vessel toward the wind.
Did you know?The word survives most visibly in “aloof,” originally a sailing expression meaning toward the windward side, or literally “to loof.”
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
English
loof
“The windward side of a ship; a nautical term associated with steering toward the wind.”
16th Century
English
luff
“To steer a sailing vessel nearer to the direction from which the wind blows.”
16th–17th Century
Dutch
loef
“The windward side of a ship.”
17th Century
English
aloof
“Originally a nautical expression meaning away or to windward; later, emotionally detached.”
Modern English
English
loof
“An archaic or specialized nautical word for the windward side or the act of turning toward the wind.”