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luff
luff, the leading edge of a sail in a fore-and-aft rig. ‘Hold your luff’, an order to the helmsman of a sailing vessel to keep the vessel sailing as close to the wind as possible and not allow it to sag down to leeward.
When used as a verb, ‘luff’ is an order to the helmsman to bring the ship's head up closer to the wind by putting the helm down, or to leeward. In yacht racing, to luff an opponent is to come up closer to the wind, or even head to wind if necessary, to prevent the opponent overtaking to windward, a legitimate procedure under the racing rules. |
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Cite this article
"luff." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "luff." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-luff.html "luff." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-luff.html |
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luff
luff / ləf/ chiefly Sailing • n. the edge of a fore-and-aft sail next to the mast or stay. • v. [tr.] 1. steer (a sailing vessel) nearer the wind to the point at which the sails just begin to flap: I came aft and luffed her for the open sea. ∎ obstruct (an opponent in yacht racing) by sailing closer to the wind. 2. raise or lower (the jib of a crane or derrick). |
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Cite this article
"luff." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "luff." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-luff.html "luff." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-luff.html |
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luff
luff †contrivance for altering a ship's course XIII (often in phr. wend or turn the luff); †weather side of a ship XIV; side of a sail next to the mast XVI; broadest part of a ship's bow XVII. — OF. lof, prob. of LG. or Du. orig.
Hence luff vb. bring nearer to the wind. XIV (love). perh. immed. — Du. loeven. |
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "luff." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "luff." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-luff.html T. F. HOAD. "luff." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-luff.html |
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luff
luff •bluff, buff, chough, chuff, cuff, duff, enough, fluff, gruff, guff, huff, luff, muff, puff, rough, ruff, scruff, scuff, slough, snuff, stuff, Tough, tuff
•handcuff • earmuff • powder puff
•dandruff • woodruff • feedstuff
•greenstuff • foodstuff
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Cite this article
"luff." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "luff." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-luff.html "luff." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-luff.html |
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