luff
1 of 2noun
ˈləf 
1
: the act of sailing a ship nearer the wind
2
: the forward edge of a fore-and-aft sail
luff
2 of 2verb
luffed; luffing; luffs
intransitive verb
: to turn the head of a ship toward the wind
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
David Means, Harper's Magazine, 23 Nov. 2021 Rene Rodriguez, miamiherald, 5 Sep. 2017
Noun
The luff along the edges, the abundance of wind along the reach of the river, the arch and tip of the boat in relation to the air and the water; a boy, one hand on his tiller, the other on the rope, ducking down but not far enough. David Means, Harper's Magazine, 23 Nov. 2021 Verb
Smaller cranes, such as luffing or mobile cranes, are laid flat on the ground during a storm and do not pose a threat. Rene Rodriguez, miamiherald, 5 Sep. 2017 Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English lof spar holding out the windward tack of a sail, weather side of a ship, from Anglo-French
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined above
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