Forms: 5–6 loupe, 6 loppe, Sc. lowpe, 7 lope, loope, 7– loop. [Of obscure etymology.
Prof. Skeat (Concise Etym. Dict.) suggests that the word may be a. ON. hlǫup, hlaup LEAP sb., comparing the Sw. löp-knut, Da. løb-knude, løb-pie, running-knot. These compounds, however, seem to be merely modern Germanisms; the relevant sense of the verb, Sw. löpa, Da. løbe, being app. foreign to early Scandinavian, and due to the influence of the corresponding G. laufen (LG. lôpen). Further, the mod.Sc. form of ON. hlǫup would be regularly loup, pronounced (laup), whereas the word loop is in Sc. pronounced (lūp); the spelling lowpe in G. Douglas is ambiguous, but prob. represents (lūp); cf. drowpe = droop. The Irish and Gael. lub, formerly suggested by Prof. Skeat, presents at least a noteworthy resemblance of sound and meaning to the Eng. word.]
1. The doubling or return into itself of a portion of a string, cord, thong, or the like, so as to leave an aperture between the parts; the portion so doubled, commonly fastened at the ends. Often used as an ornament for dress (cf. loop-lace). † Crochets and loops: hooks and eyes. † To prick in the loop: to play FAST AND LOOSE: cf. pricking in the garter (GARTER sb. 7).
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 2806. Paris with pyne, & his pure brother,… Lauset loupis fro the le: lachyn in Ancres.
c. 1450. Bk. Curtasye, 446, in Babees Bk. With crochettis and loupys sett on lyour.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, V. v. 66. The todir part [of a snake cut in two] lamyt, clynschis and makis hir byde, In lowpis thrawin and lynkis of hir hyde.
1530. Palsgr., 241/1. Loupe to holde a button, fermeau.
1551. Mathew, Bible, Exod. xxvi. 4. Then shalt thou make loupes of Iacyncte coloure, alonge by the edge of ye one curtayne.
1657–8. in Swayne, Churchw. Acc. Sarum (1896), 332. A Crooke and Loope to put ye Sword in, 2s. 6d.
1669. Sturmy, Mariner’s Mag., V. xii. 49. There is a Brass Pin in the Center at C for to hang the Plummet and String, with the Lope upon.
1690. Evelyn, Ladies Dressing-R., Fops Dict., 21. Sultane, a gown trimm’d with Buttons and Loops.
1718. Lady M. W. Montagu, Lett. to C’tess Mar, 10 March. Those gold loops so common on birthday coats.
1762–71. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint. (1786), V. 118. A woman … in … a cloak with loops hanging behind.
1771–2. Ess. fr. Batchelor (1773), II. 66. This is the identical Jack, who played prick in the loop with so many Lord Lieutenants, and cheated them all.
1782. Cowper, Gilpin, 103. The cloak did fly … Till, loop and button failing both, At last it flew away.
1802. C. James, Milit. Dict., Loop, is … used to signify an ornamental part of a regimental hat.
1815. Elphinstone, Acc. Caubul (1842), I. 351. There are rows of buttons and loops down the breast of the tunic.
1879. Butcher & Lang, Odyss., 73. And fixed the oars in leathern loops all orderly.
1890. Julia P. Ballard, Among Moths & Butterfl., 120. A loop-and-link as if he had begun to make a chain.
1891. W. C. Sydney, Eng. 18th Cent., II. 110. So late as 1799 … footmen wore their hair tied up behind in a thick loop called a hoop.
b. spec. in Needlework (see quots.).
1880. Plain Hints Needlework, 93. To speak correctly, we believe it can be proved that we should speak of a mesh in netting, a loop in knitting.
1882. Caulfeild & Saward, Dict. Needlework, Loop, a term used instead of stitch in Crochet, Knitting, Netting, and Tatting. In Lace-making the word Loop is sometimes employed instead of Picot.
c. Mining. (See quot. 1891.).
1883. Gresley, Gloss. Coal Mining, It [the D Link] is a loop in which one man is lowered and raised in an engine-pit.
1891. Labour Commission, Gloss., Loops, slings attached to the end of the ropes which formerly drew the corves to the pit-mouth of a coal mine.
1897. Westm. Gaz., 13 May, 7/1. There were about 200 men in the pit, who had to be brought out by another shaft in loops.
d. = LOOPFUL.
1901. Brit. Med. Jrnl., No. 2089 Epit. Med. Lit. 8. A loop of this second dilution is placed … on each cover glass.
2. A ring or curved piece of metal, etc., employed in various ways, e.g., for the insertion of a bolt, ramrod, or rope, as a handle for lifting, etc.; dial. a door-hinge.
1674–91. Ray, N. C. Words, 44. A Loop; An Hinge of a Door.
1715. Desaguliers, Fires Impr., 131. A Cover … with a Loop to move it easily.
1735. Dyche & Pardon, Dict., Loop,… in a Gun, tis a small Hole in the Barrel, to fasten it to the Stock or Carriage by.
1802. C. James, Milit. Dict., Loop, in a ship-carriage, made of iron,… through which the ropes or tackle pass, whereby the guns are moved.
1824. P. Hawker, Instr. Yng. Sportsmen (ed. 3), 54. Parts of a Gun…. Loops, eyes to barrel which receive the bolts that fasten it into the stock.
1847. Infantry Man. (1854), 33. Put it [the ramrod] into the loops.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Loops of a Gun-carriage, the iron eye-bolts to which the tackles are hooked.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., Loop, a sleeve or collar, as that upon the middle of a neck-yoke.
1878. Jewitt, Ceramic Art, I. 15. It has on its central band four projecting handles or loops, which are pierced. Nine other looped examples, from Cornwall.
1881. Greener, Gun, 239. The ribs are then soft-soldered on, and the loop fitted in.
3. Something having the shape of a loop, e.g., a line traced on paper, a part of a written character (as the upper part of the usual script 𝒷, 𝒽, 𝓉), a part of the apparent path of a planet, a bend of a river.
1668. Wilkins, Real Char., IV. i. 388. Adverbs … may be expressed by a Loop in the same place.
1814. Scott, Lines to Dk. Buccleuch, 13 Aug., in Lockhart, xxxiii. For this mighty shoal of leviathans lay On our lee-beam a mile, in the loop of the bay. Ibid. (1818), Rob Roy, i. I wish … you would write a more distinct current hand … and open the loops of your l’s.
1851. Mayne Reid, Scalp Hunt., xviii. 127. Our path trended away from the river, crossing its numerous ‘loops.’
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., III. x. He set out … described a loop, turned, and went back again.
1880. C. & F. Darwin, Movem. Pl., 2. The apex often travels in a zig-zag line, or makes small subordinate loops or triangles.
1900. R. C. Thompson, Rep. Magicians Nineveh, II. p. lxxxix. Jupiter … appears to have formed a ‘loop’ near Regulus.
1900. Blackw. Mag., July, 58/1. James Bay, the Southern loop of Hudson’s Bay.
4. spec. in scientific and technical applications.
a. Anat. A looped vessel or fiber. Loop of Henle, the looped part of a uriniferous tubule.
1846. Toynbee, in Medico-Chirurg. Trans., XXIX. 309. Loops, convolutions, and dilatations, freely intercommunicating, characterize the tubuli of the surface.
1858. H. Gray, Anat., 442. Occasionally the elementary [nerve-] fibres are disposed in terminal loops or plexuses.
1885. Landois & Stirling, Human Physiol., II. 518. The spiral tubule … passes into the descending portion of Henle’s loop.
b. Zool. In brachiopods, the folding of the brachial appendages.
1851–6. Woodward, Mollusca, 211. In Terebratula and Thecidium it [the internal skeleton] takes the form of a loop, which supports the brachial membrane, but does not strictly follow the course of the arms.
1860. Reeve, Elem. Conchol., II. 182. In Terebratula dilatata … the loops are long.
1881. P. M. Duncan, in Academy, 19 March, 210. The comparative sizes are also given, and the internal skeleton or loop also.
c. Math. (See quot. 1877.)
1858. J. Booth, in Proc. Roy. Soc., IX. 261. The difference between the lengths of the loop and the infinite branch is equal to an arc of the parabola together with a right line.
1877. W. K. Clifford, in Math. Papers (1882), 243. A path going along any line from O to very near A, then round A in a very small circle, and then back to O along the same line, will be called a loop.
1878. J. Wolstenholme, Math. Problems (ed. 2), 316. Also prove that the area of the loop is ….
d. Acoustics. The portion of a vibrating string, column of air, etc., between two nodes.
1878. Ld. Rayleigh, Theory of Sound, § 255 II. 46. Midway between each pair of consecutive nodes there is a loop, or place of no pressure variation. Ibid. The loops are the places of maximum velocity, and the nodes those of maximum pressure variation.
1879. W. H. Stone, Sound, i. 9. The breaking-up of the string into a number of nodes with intervening loops or ventral segments.
e. Railways and Telegraphy. A line of rails or a telegraph wire diverging from, and afterwards returning to, the main line or circuit.
1863. Culley, Handbk. Telegr., 122. Supposing the resistance of the loop to be 100 units.
1873. Act 36 & 37 Vict., c. 56. Sched 1. Note a & b, On single lines of Railway, each connection with a portion of double line at loops, terminal stations, or junctions to be stated.
1878. F. S. Williams, Midl. Railw., 132. For some years the Midland … used the loop via Worcester only for the local traffic.
1889. J. K. Jerome, Three Men in Boat, v. They … thought the train was the Southampton express, or else the Windsor loop.
f. In a ‘centrifugal railway’ or the like: That portion of the path which forms a circuit, along the upper portion of which the passenger travels head downwards.
1900. Scientif. American, 22 Sept., 186/1. [The car] plunges down the incline of 75 feet,… whirls round the loop, and reaches the station after running up a heavy grade.
5. (See quots.) [Perh. a different word.]
1674–91. Ray, S. & E. C. Words, 105. A Loop; A Rail of Pales, or Bars join’d together like a Gate, to be removed in and out at pleasure.
a. 1825. Forby, Voc. E. Anglia, Loop, the part of a pale-fence between one post and another.
6. attrib. and Comb., as loop-maker; loop-like, -shaped adjs.; loop-artery, an artery that forms a loop alongside the main-duct; loop-drag, -eye (see quots.); loop-knot, † (a) a reef-knot (obs.); (b) a single knot tied in a doubled cord, so as to leave a loop beyond the knot (1875 in Knight, Dict. Mech.); loop-lace, (a) a kind of ornament consisting of a series of loops; (b) a kind of lace consisting of patterns worked on a ground of fine net; hence loop-laced a.; loop-line, (a) see 3 c; (b) a fishing-line used with the loop-rod (q.v.) to which it is attached by a loop; loop-rod, a spliced fishing rod with a strong loop of horse-hair at the top for the attachment of the line; loop-stitch, a kind of fancy stitch consisting of loops; loop-test (see quot.); loop-tube = looped tube (see LOOPED ppl. a.1 1); loop-work, work consisting of loops or looped stitches; also attrib.; loop-worm = LOOPER 1.
1899. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., VI. 239. The blood can enter at each end of the short *loop arteries.
1881. Raymond, Mining Gloss., *Loop-drag, an eye at the end of a rod through which tow is passed for cleaning bore-holes.
1868. Joynson, Metals, 19. Vertical bars, to which they [horizontal bands] are attached by *loop-eyes or strong screw-bolts.
1795. Hutton, Math. Dict., s.v. Knot, A *Loop knot [explained as = reef-knot].
1894. Outing (U.S.), XXIV. 351/2. We took a stout rope, made a strong loop-knot in it for each person.
1632. J. Hayward, trans. Biondi’s Eromena, 52. The sleeves … were cut from the highest to the lowest part … and rejoind with small blacke *loope-lace.
1683. Lond. Gaz., No. 1797/4. A new-fashion’d Campaign Coat … gold Loop-Lace down the Seams.
1883. Daily News, 22 Oct., 7/1. Common Valenciennes and loop laces.
1691. Lond. Gaz., No. 2686/4. One Flanders *Loop-laced Combing-cloath.
1896. Pop. Sci. Monthly, Feb., 535. A tendency to draw a *looplike rudimentary contour soon emerges.
1885. D. Webster, Angler & Loop-Rod, iv. 71. For artificial fly-fishing I prefer, and constantly use, the spliced rod and *loop-line.
1727. Boyer, Fr. Dict., *Loop-maker, faiseur d’Agrémens.
1885. D. Webster (title), The Angler and the *Loop-Rod. Ibid., Pref. p. viii. The art of fishing with what may be styled the loop-rod and line.
1870. Rolleston, Anim. Life, 134. We see a *loop-shaped gland.
1857. Abridgm. Specif. Patents, Sewing, etc. 19. Then carrying through the latter a loop of the first thread, so as to form a double *loop-stitch.
1901. Lady’s Realm, X. 619. Fig. 22 is the way open loop-stitch is worked…. When drawn through, the needle is put in a little way beyond the loop formed.
1867. Culley, Handbk. Telegr. (ed. 2), 145. A *loop-test, when two similar wires are disconnected from earth at the distant end and joined together, is free from this source of error.
1876. Preece & Sivewright, Telegraphy, 276. The advantage of the loop test consists in its being independent, within certain limits, of the resistance of the fault.
1885. Landois & Stirling, Human Physiol., II. 518. Here it [sc. the narrow loop of Henle] becomes wider … and enters a medullary ray, where it constitutes the ascending *loop-tube.
1857. Abridgm. Specif. Patents, Sewing, etc. 4. Apparatus for producing *loopwork ornaments on woven fabrics.
1888. Art Jrnl., 379. By leaving portions of the silk loopwork uncut a less raised pile is produced.
1880. Libr. Univ. Knowl. (N. Y.), III. 388. [Canker-worms] are often called … *loop worms or geometers.
