Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
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noun
The palm of the hand.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Northern-England, Scotland, dialectal
Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The hand, especially, the hand outspread and upturned.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Northern-England, Scotland, dialectal
Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A contrivance (apparently a paddle or an oar) used for altering the course of a ship.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
Topics: nautical, transport
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The after part of the bow of a ship where the sides begin to curve.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: nautical, transport
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The spongy fibers of the fruit of a cucurbitaceous plant (Luffa aegyptiaca).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Inherited 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).
