loaf en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ləʊf/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /loʊf/ (General-American)
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kʷel-der.? Proto-Germanic *hlaibaz Proto-West Germanic *hlaib Old English hlāf Middle English lof English loaf * From Middle English laf, lof, loof, from Old English hlāf (“bread; loaf”), from Proto-West Germanic *hlaib, from Proto-Germanic *hlaibaz (“bread; loaf”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to Old English hlifian (“to stand out prominently, tower up”). Cognates Cognate with German Laib (“loaf”), Danish and Swedish lev (“loaf”), Faroese leivur (“an oblong bun”), Icelandic hleifur (“loaf”), Norwegian Nynorsk leiv (“loaf”), Gothic 𐌷𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌱𐍃 (hlaibs), 𐌷𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍆𐍃 (hlaifs, “bread”) (whence Proto-Slavic *xlěbъ (“bread”) (see there for further descendants)), Estonian leib (“black bread”), Finnish leipä (“bread; loaf”); also Latvian klaips (“loaf”), Lithuanian kliẽpas (“loaf”). Doublet of chleb and khleb. * (brain or head): Rhyming slang, ellipsis of loaf of bread.
Meanings
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(qualifier:also loaf of bread) A block of bread after baking.
Philander went into the next room[…]and came back with a salt mackerel that dripped brine like a rainstorm. Then he put the coffee pot on the stove and rummaged out a loaf of dry bread and some hardtack.
1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VIII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
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Any solid block of food, such as meat or sugar.
sugar-loaf
1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “IV. Century.”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC:
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(Cockney, abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, slang) Ellipsis of loaf of bread: the brain or the head.
alt of loaf of bread
It is frequently said of Bertram Wooster that he is a man who can think on his feet, and if the necessity arises he can also use his loaf when on all fours. [...] “Why didn't the idiot tell her not to open it?” “It was his first move. ‘I've found a letter from you here, precious,’ she said. ‘On no account open it, angel,’ he said. So of course she opened it.” She pursed the lips, nodded the loaf, and ate a moody piece of crumpet. “So that's why he's been going about looking like a dead fish.”
1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, “VIII AND XII”, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC:use one's loaf
- A solid block of soap, from which standard bar soap is cut.
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A particular still life configuration with seven living cells.
Running a LWSS into it can produce various debris. One of these reactions produces a loaf. When the loaf is properly hit with other LWSSs, it can be pulled backwards.
1992 September 10, David Bell, “Spaceships in Conway's Life (Part 3b)”, in comp.theory.cell-automata (Usenet):It runs for 17331 generations before stabilizing as 136 blinkers, 109 blocks, 65 beehives, 18 loaves, 18 boats, 7 ships, 4 tubs, 3 ponds, 2 toads, and 40 gliders.
1989 November 20, Dean Hickerson, “Life: glider gun origin”, in comp.theory.cell-automata (Usenet):I am looking for the smallest ancestor of the following four loaf pattern in Conway's Game of Life:
1998 January 27, Ian Osgood, “Life: looking for smallest ancestor of a quad-loaf”, in comp.theory.cell-automata (Usenet):
- (informal, slang) A catloaf.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| loaves | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
cottage loaf · pan-loaf · farthing loaf · pinch a loaf · Vienna loaf · meat loaf · loaf bread · sandwich loaf · olive loaf · half a loaf is better than no bread · loaf pan · meatloaf · loaflet · sugar loaf · temse loaf · farmhouse loaf · French loaf · half a loaf is better than no loaf · tank loaf · Pullman loaf · catloafed · sugar-loaf · wave loaf · barracouta loaf · loaf of bread · plain loaf · granary loaf · flesh loaf · ribbon loaf · foodloaf · malt loaf · loaflike · nut loaf · disciplinary loaf · catloaf · loaf sugar · fleshloaf · Dutch loaf · frosted ribbon loaf · liverloaf · confinement loaf · half a loaf is better than none · pimento loaf · meatless loaf · tea loaf
Descendants
loff · lofa · loff · ļoob · লোফ
Synonyms
calabash · bonce · beaner · skull · lolly · brain bucket · sconce · brainbox · nut · bean · noddle · dome · noddle · block · loaf · belfry · bonce · noggin · nut · napper · head · noodle
Translations (106)
de Laib Brot (block of bread) · fr savonnette (large block of soap) · el καρβέλι (block of bread) · sh хље̏б (block of bread) · mk сому́н (block of bread) · sh хле̏б (block of bread) · is hleifur (block of bread) · he כיכר (block of bread) · de Laib (block of bread) · et nupp (head (slang)) · fi mureke (block of food) · bg хляб (block of bread) · fi limppu (block of bread) · et latt (block of food) · it pagnotta (block of bread) · sh vèkna (block of bread) · sh hljȅb (block of bread) · es barra (large block of soap) · it pane in cassetta (block of bread) · lv kukulis (block of bread) · kw torth (block of bread) · ca testa (head (slang)) · yi לעבל (block of bread) · fi leipä (block of bread) · el φρατζόλα (block of bread) · sl hleb (block of bread) · ja パン一斤 (block of bread) · ja パン一塊 (block of bread) · lv klaips (block of bread) · is brauð (block of bread) · ru коча́н (head (slang)) · sv limpa (block of bread) · sl hlebec (block of bread) · pl bochenek (block of bread) · gl fogaza (block of bread) · hu kenyér (block of bread) · ar رَغِيف (block of bread) · es pan (block of bread) · twf pʼȍkúna (block of bread) · fi toppa (block of food) · ca barra (large block of soap) · sh векница (block of bread) · ru бу́лка (block of bread) · it panetto (large block of soap) · sh štrȕca (block of bread) · fr miche (block of bread) · ro franzelă (block of bread) · cs pecen (block of bread) · ro jimblă (block of bread) · sh veknica (block of bread) · ka ბატონი (block of bread) · nl brood (block of bread) · pl bochen (block of bread) · haw pōpō (block of bread) · sh штру̏ца (block of bread) · sl štruca (block of bread) · sh hlȅb (block of bread) · pt pão (block of bread) · sh вѐкна (block of bread) · gl panocha (block of bread) · ms buku (block of bread) · gd lof (block of bread) · zlw-ocs bochnec (block of bread) · es testa (head (slang)) · la pānis (block of bread) · sw mkate (block of bread) · grc ἄρτος (block of bread) · fi polla (head (slang)) · cs bochník (block of bread) · fr baguette (block of bread) · gl regueifa (block of bread) · izh bulkka (block of bread) · yi לאַבן (block of bread) · is hleifur (block of food) · ga bollóg (block of bread) · ro pâine (block of bread) · ca fogassa (block of bread) · cmn 一條麵包 /一条面包 (block of bread) · fi tanko (large block of soap) · it capoccia (head (slang)) · bg самун (block of bread) · es mollera (head (slang)) · ru буха́нка (block of bread) · de Brot (block of bread) · ga bairín (block of bread) · gl molete (block of bread) · kw torth (block of food) · gl sembra (block of bread) · cy torth (block of bread) · fi kimpale (block of food) · et päts (block of bread) · pt barra (large block of soap) · gl tarxa (block of bread) · es hogaza (block of bread) · fr pain (block of bread) · et päts (block of food) · kk бөлке (block of bread) · et kaalikas (head (slang)) · ru бато́н (block of bread) · gl bolo (block of bread) · it pan carrè (block of bread) · ga builín (block of bread) · cu хлѣбъ (block of bread) · es pan (block of food) · et kupp (head (slang)) · mk ве́кна (block of bread)