Sc. and north. dial. 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.

1

13[?].  E. E. Allit. P., B. 987. Wyth lyȝt louez vplyfte þay loued hyn swyþe.

2

13[?].  S. Erkenwolde, 349, in Horstm., Altengl. Leg. (1881), 274. Þene wos louynge oure lorde with loves vp haldene.

3

c. 1400.  Maundev. (Roxb.), vii. 26. Take a litill bawme and lay it on þe lufe of þi hand.

4

a. 1400–50.  Alexander, 2569 (Ashm. MS.). Þe licor in his awen looue [Dublin MS. lofe], þe lettir in þe tothire.

5

c. 1460.  Towneley Myst., iii. 462. Noe. I may towch with my lufe the grownd evyn here.

6

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.

7

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.

8

1562.  Turner, Herbal, II. 108. They be as big as a man can grype in the palm or loofe of his hande.

9

1573.  Satir. Poems Reform., xxxix. 203. The suddartis luiffis wes as ouirlaid wt lyme.

10

c. 1620.  Z. Boyd, Zion’s Flowers (1855), 54. If in your loof yee all this silver had.

11

1637.  Rutherford, Lett. (1862), I. 198. We are fools to be browden and fond of a pawn in the loof of our hand.

12

1721.  Ramsay, Lucky Spence, xii. Wi’ well-creesh’d loofs I hae been canty. Ibid. (1728), Rob. Rich. & Sandy, 62 (1877), II. 8. A canty tale he’d tell aff loof.

13

1792.  Burns, Willie’s Wife, iv. Auld baudrons by the ingle sits, An’ wi’ her loof her face a-washin.

14

1830.  Galt, Lawrie T., VII. vii. (1849), 335. Though the case were as plain as my loofe.

15

1855.  Robinson, Whitby Gloss., s.v., Give us thy lufe, not thy fist.

16

1896.  Barrie, Sent. Tommy, xix. 215. Using the loof of his hand as a spoon.

17

  Hence Loof-ful Sc., a handful.

18

c. 1540.  Lyndesay, Kittie’s Conf., 90. Curnis of meil, and luffillis of Malt.

19

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.

20


  Loof sb.2 and v.: see LUFF sb. and v.

21