loof
The palm of the handThe palm of the hand.
Meaning
5 senses(Northern England, Scotland, dialectal)The palm of the hand.
(Northern England, Scotland, dialectal)The hand, especially, the hand outspread and upturned.
The after part of the bow of a ship where the sides begin to curve.
(uncountable)The spongy fibers of the fruit of a cucurbitaceous plant (Luffa aegyptiaca).
(obsolete)A contrivance (apparently a paddle or an oar) used for altering the course of a ship.
Origin
Inherited from Middle English love, lufe, lofe, luf (“palm of the hand”), from Old Norse lInherited from Middle English love, lufe, lofe, luf (“palm of the hand”), from Old Norse lōfi, from Proto-Germanic *lōfô (“palm of the hand; paw; oar blade, paddle”).
Inherited from Middle English lof (“a contrivance for altering a ship's course, paddle, oar”), from Middle Dutch loef (“an oar or paddle used in steering”), ultimately of the same origin as Etymology 1. Compare luff.
From Egyptian Arabic لُوف (lūf).
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