ALOOF
What does "ALOOF" mean?
Distant or reserved in manner; deliberately uninvolved.
Meanings
- Cool and detached in feeling or behaviour; not friendly or forthcoming. New colleagues found her aloof until they learned she was just shy.
- At a distance, but still in view; apart. He stood aloof from the celebration, watching from the doorway. formal
Word origin
From Middle English nautical 'a loof', 'to the luff' — 'a-' (to) plus 'loof' (windward side, the luff of a sail). To keep aloof meant to steer to windward, away from a hazard such as a lee shore; the sense of holding apart followed.
Remember it
ALOOF keeps a double-O at arm's length in the middle — two cool, round eyes that won't quite meet yours.
A little poem
The cat declines the lap, the praise, the door,
choosing the cold sill and the rain's report-
aloof is just a closeness held offshore.
tercet
What it teaches
Aloofness reads as pride from the outside and as armour from within; rarely is it the thing it seems.
Quick facts
What does ALOOF mean?
Distant or reserved in manner; deliberately uninvolved.
Is ALOOF a valid word?
Yes — ALOOF is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is ALOOF?
ALOOF has 5 letters and 2 syllables.
Where does ALOOF come from?
From Middle English nautical 'a loof', 'to the luff' — 'a-' (to) plus 'loof' (windward side, the luff of a sail). To keep aloof meant to steer to windward, away from a hazard such as a lee shore; the sense of holding apart followed.
What can ALOOF teach us?
Aloofness reads as pride from the outside and as armour from within; rarely is it the thing it seems.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.