(or sb. attrib.) Naut. Also 6 lum, 7 loome, loume. [Perh. corruptly a. Da. lugn: see LOUN a., dial.] Of a breeze or wind: Easy, gentle. Obs. exc. in loom gale, ‘an easy gale of wind, in which a ship can carry her whole topsails atrip’ (Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., 1867).
1587. J. Davis, Traverse Bk., in Hakluyt (1810), III. 154. An island of ice was carried by the force of the current as faste as our barke could saile with lum wind, all sailes bearing.
1609. in Purchas, Pilgrims (1625), IV. IX. v. 1733. By the feruent heat and loomes breezes, many of our men fell sicke of the Calenture.
1626. Capt. Smith, Accid. Yng. Sea-men, 17. A spoute, a loume gaile, an eddy wind. Ibid. (1627), Seaman’s Gram., x. 46. A faire Loome Gale is the best to saile in, because the Sea goeth not high, and we beare out all our sailes.
1644. Digby, Nat. Bodies, xxviii. (1658), 304. We had run … wth all the sails abroad we could make, and in a fair loom way.
1694. Motteux, Rabelais, V. x. We … stood for the Offing with a fair loom Gale.
