Naut. Forms: 3 lof, (pl. lofos, 3–5 loves), 4–5 lofe, 5, 8 loff, 5 louffe, lowffe, 7 loufe; 6–7 loofe, looff(e, Sc. luif(e, 3–9 loof; 6 luf(fe, 6–7 lufe, 5– luff. [Early ME. lof, loof, app. a. OF. lof (Wace, 12th c.), later louf, used in sense 1 below. Senses 2–4 are common to various mod. langs.: F. lof, Sp., Pg. ló, Du. loef (whence LG. loff, G. luv, Da. luv, Sw. luf). The manner of their development is obscure, and it is uncertain whether they originated in Fr., Eng., or (? most prob.) Du. Sense 5 is peculiar to Eng., and it is not easy to connect it with any of the other senses.
Certain other meanings which the word has had in Du. and Fr. need to be accounted for before any hypothesis as to the primitive meaning and sense-development can be regarded as satisfactory. In early mod.Du. loef, loeve is explained as ‘thole-pin’ (scalmus, Kilian). In the 17th c. the F. lof or loo is stated to mean ‘the distance from the mast to the place on the side to which the sheet is fastened when the vessel is close-hauled.’ (See the quot. from Nicot in Godef., s.v.) In the existing uncertainty as to the primary meaning, the ultimate etymology remains obscure; the current view that it represents a Teut. word cogn. with ON. lófe palm, LOOF sb.1, depends on the doubtful assumption that the ‘lof’ of sense 1 was a steering paddle.]
† 1. ? Some implement or contrivance for altering the course of a ship. Phrases, to turn, wend the luff (= Anglo-Latin obliquare dracenam), to change one’s course; also fig. Obs.
Commonly supposed to have been either a rudder or a paddle to assist in steering. Comparison with the various senses which the word has had in Eng. and other langs. (see above) suggests that it may have been some kind of machine for operating on the sails.
c. 1205. Lay., 7859. Heo scuuen ut heore lof & læiden to þon londe. Ibid., 20949. Heo wenden heore lofes [c. 1275 loues] & liðen toward londe. Ibid., 30922. Heo rihten heore loues and up droȝen seiles.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 104. Hu swetelich þi spus spekeð, & cleopeð þe to him so luueliche, & ter after hu he went þene lof, & spekeð swuð grimliche, ȝif þu wendest vt.
a. 1259. Matthew Paris, Chron. Maj. (Rolls), III. 29. Perrexerunt igitur audacter, obliquando tamen dracenam, id est loof, acsi vellent adire Calesiam.
13[?]. Coer de L., 71. And her loof and her wyndas Off asure forsothe it was.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 12088. Somme aforced þe wyndas, Somme þe loof [Petyt MS. lofe], somme þe bytas [orig. 11491 Li un s’esforcent al vindas, Li autre al lof et al betas].
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., C. 106. Þay layden in on ladde-borde & the lofe wynnes [? read wyndes].
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 744. Tytt saillez to þe toppe, and turnez the lufe.
1485. Naval Acc. Hen. VII. (1896), 38. Chenes for the Loves … j.
† 2. The weather-gauge, or part of a ship toward the wind. Obs.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 750. Launchez lede apone lufe, lacchene ther depe.
a. 1500. Piers of Fullham, 263, in Hazl., E. P. P., II. 11. What worde for to sey he ys yn dowt: eyther, war the looff, or fall, or bye.
1609. T. Ravenscroft’s Pammelia, No. 55, D 4 b. Looke to the looffe wel, beware the lee still.
1622. R. Hawkins, Voy. S. Sea, xlix. 118. The Vice Admirall a mile right to le-wards of vs; the Reare Admirall in a manner right a head, some Culvering shott; and one vpon our loofe, within shott also.
3. In various phrases. † On luff, † at a luff, † at luff and lie, luff a luff: hugging the wind closely, close to the wind. † A luff: see ALOOF adv. 1, 2. † To go by luff (by love), to keep one’s luff: to keep close to the wind; to keep away to the windward, keep one’s distance (from another vessel, etc.). To spring one’s luff: to bring the ship’s head closer to the wind; transf. (in jocular use) to show agility in climbing. (Also said of the ship, to keep her luff, spring her luff, spring a loof.)
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 3610. The wynd was good to ther byhoue, Thei sailed on brod and gon by-loue, Til thei come to Troye land.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot. (1858), I. 124. Sum bade on luffe, and other sum hald by.
a. 1568. Satir. Poems Reform., xlvi. 6. Se that hir hatchis be handlit richt, Wt steirburd, baburd, luf and lie. Ibid., 11. Bot at ane lufe scho lyis behind.
1583. Leg. Bp. St. Androis, Pref. 104. He lattis his scheip tak in at luife and lie.
1591. Raleigh, Last Fight Rev. (Arb.), 19. Diuerse of the formost, who as the Marriners terme it, sprang their luffe.
c. 1595. Capt. Wyatt, R. Dudley’s Voy. W. Ind. (Hakl. Soc.), 57. She verie stoutlie keepinge her loofe bare with us.
1628. Digby, Voy. Medit. (1868), 21. He sprung his loofe and went as neere the wind as he could.
1682. Hickeringill, Black Non-Conf., Concl., Wks. 1716, II. 157. Then, Charity (Hussy!) stand off, keep your ’loof and your distance.
1697. Lond. Gaz., No. 3318/3. The Hospital-Ship prudently springing her Loof quickly came near us.
1754. Eeles, in Phil. Trans., XLIX. 143. If they sail upon a wind from the center of the shower toward the extremity, they may safely venture to keep their luff.
1762. Falconer, Shipwr., II. 51. The mizen draws; she springs aloof once more.
1805. Adm. Stirling, in Naval Chron., XV. 80. We sprung our luff.
1849. Florist, 305. And so we quietly kept our luff.
1870. Routledge’s Ev. Boy’s Ann., 251. I just want to know who ‘spring their luffs’ most nimble up the rigging.
1887. E. J. Mather, Nor’ard of Dogger (1888), 172. He staled that they had passed the Leman Light, and was steering southerly, luff a luff (close haul to the wind).
4. ‘The weather part of a fore-and-aft sail, in other words, the side next the mast or stay to which it is attached’ (Young, Naut. Dict., 1846).
1513. Douglas, Æneis, V. xiv. 7. Now the lie scheit, and now the luf, thai slak.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. 40. Hail doune the steir burde lufe harde a burde.
c. 1860. H. Stuart, Seaman’s Catech., 48. Name the parts of a fore-and-aft sail. Head, luff, leech, and foot.
1883. Harper’s Mag., Aug., 449/2. A mainsail which is … short on the luff or on the part which is made fast to the mast.
1893. Max Pemberton, Iron Pirate, 39. The mainsail presently showed a great rent near the luff.
5. The fullest and broadest part of a ship’s bow, where the sides begin to curve in towards the stem. † Luff for luff: (of two vessels) close alongside.
1624. Capt. Smith, Virginia, IV. 128. They brauely boorded vs loofe for loofe. Ibid. (1627), Seaman’s Gram., ii. 9. The Bow is broadest part of the Ship before, compassing the Stem to the Loure, which reacheth so farre as the Bulkhead of the Fore-castle extendeth.
1694. Motteux, Rabelais, V. xviii. With Cables fasten’d to the Bits abaft the Manger in the Ship’s Loof.
1711. W. Sutherland, Shipbuild. Assist., 47. Raise what you can regularly in the Bulge and Loof.
c. 1850. Rudim. Navig. (Weale), 130. Luff or loof, the fullest or roundest part of the bow.
1875. Bedford, Sailor’s Pocket Bk., vi. (ed. 2), 214. The two bowmen to gather down on the luff.
6. = Luff-tackle (see 7). Luff upon luff, a luff-tackle attached to the fall of another, to increase the purchase.
1840. R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, xxix. 99. Two more luff tackles [were] hooked on, with dogs,… and thus by luff upon luff, the power was multiplied.
c. 1860. H. Stuart, Seaman’s Catech., 8. A long luff for a fore and aft tackle should be used for steadying the boat.
1882. Nares, Seamanship (ed. 6), 58. The double block of the luff is hooked to the lanyard.
7. attrib. and Comb.: † luff board, ? = sense 2; † luff hook (see quot. 1627); † luff-law, -lew, -low [second element obscure], ? = sense 5; luff-piece (see quot.); luff-rope, ? the rope of a luff-tackle; luff-tackle, a purchase composed of a double and a single block, used for various purposes.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IX. 56. Ledys on *luff burd, with a lordlik fer: Lansys laid out, to [luik] thar passage sound.
1485. Naval Acc. Hen. VII. (1896), 73. *Lofe hokes. Ibid. (1495), 158. Loff hokes.
1532. Inv. Gt. Barke, 6 Oct. (Jal), Item, a snatche polly; a Luffhooke.
1627. Capt. Smith, Seaman’s Gram., v. 24. The Loofe hooke is a tackle with two hookes, one to hitch into a chingle of the maine, or fore saile,… and the other to strap spliced to the chestres to bouse or pull downe the saile to succour the tackes in a stiffe gale of wind.
1495. Naval Acc. Hen. VII. (1896), 192. Devettes stondyng at the *louffelawes oon asterborde an other a latheborde. Ibid., 203. Lowffelewes. Ibid., 215. Lofflowes.
1815. Falconer’s Marine Dict. (ed. Burney), Loof, the after part of a ship’s bow;… hence, the guns which lie here are called *loof-pieces.
1895. Times, 29 Jan., 11/2. Before the wheel could turn Gue [a workman] had to be let down in his basket from the axle in order to take off a *luff rope.
1698. T. Savery, Navig. Impr., Plate, A pice of Iron, to which a *luff Takle may bee Fixed, to lift those [paddles] that are to Heavey for mens Strength.
1731. Bailey, vol. II. Loof Tackle.
1775. Falck, Day’s Diving Vessel, 51. Belay all safe with stout salvages and loff-tackles.
1793. Smeaton, Edystone L., § 253. That buoy … was confined to the side of the Weston by a small luff-tackle which laid hold of it.
c. 1860. H. Stuart, Seaman’s Catech., 61. They are … transported to their places by luff tackles.
1884. Mil. Engineering, I. II. 66. The luff tackle used for loading and unloading the magazine.
