Loaf

Loaf

Noun / Verb · /ləʊf/

Definition

(Noun) a quantity of bread baked in one piece, typically in an oblong shape; any food baked in a similarly shaped block such as a meat loaf or sugar loaf; (Verb, informal) to spend time idly; to lounge about doing nothing useful.

Origin

(Noun) From Old English hlāf — bread, loaf. One of the oldest words in English; Old English hlāf gave the second element of lord (from hlāfweard — bread guardian) and lady (from hlǣfdige — bread kneader). (Verb) From loafer, possibly from German Landläufer — a vagabond, one who wanders the land, or from a similar source. The verb to loaf meaning to idle is a back-formation from loafer.