n. [ AS. hōfe ground ivy; the first part is perh. a corruption: cf. OE. heyhowe hedgehove, ground ivy, “in old MSS. heyhowe, heyoue, haihoue, halehoue.” Prior. ] Ground ivy (Nepeta Glechoma). [ 1913 Webster ]
n. (Zool.) Same as Alewife. [ 1913 Webster ]
adv. [ Pref. a- + loof, fr. D. loef luff, and so meaning, as a nautical word, to the windward. See Loof, Luff. ]
Our palace stood aloof from streets. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]
To make the Bible as from the hand of God, and then to look at it aloof and with caution, is the worst of all impieties. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]
prep. Away from; clear from. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
Rivetus . . . would fain work himself aloof these rocks and quicksands. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. State of being aloof. Rogers (1642). [ 1913 Webster ]
The . . . aloofness of his dim forest life. Thoreau. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ See Approve, and Proof. ]
a. Incapable of being penetrated by balls from firearms; bulletproof. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]
n. [ OE. to bihove for the use of, AS. beh&unr_;f advantage, a word implied in beh&unr_;flīc necessary; akin to Sw. behof, Dan. behov, G. behuf, and E. heave, the root meaning to seize, hence the meanings “to hold, make use of.” See Heave, v. t. ] Advantage; profit; benefit; interest; use. [ 1913 Webster ]
No mean recompense it brings
To your behoof. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. Secure against the explosive force of bombs. --
adj. secure against burglary.
n. (Bot.) A species of
A roof having a double slope, or composed, on each side, of two parts which have unequal inclination; a gambrel roof. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ Pref. dis- + proof. Cf. Disprove. ] A proving to be false or erroneous; confutation; refutation;
I need not offer anything farther in support of one, or in disproof of the other. Rogers. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t. To unroof. [ R. ] Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. a person who is stupid or inept; -- used contemptuously.
a. Proof against fire; incombustible. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. The act or process of rendering anything incombustible; also, the materials used in the process. [ 1913 Webster ]
adj. not susceptible to burning; noncombustible; fireproof; -- of artifacts. Opposite of
n. a stupid fool. [ Colloq. ]
v. i. to commit a faux pas or fault.
v. i. To shirk one's duties; to avoid work by relaxing or performing idle activities. [ Informal ] [ PJC ]
n. A person who habitually shirks his duties or avoids work; an idle worthless person. [ Informal ]
a. such as will function properly even if treated badly or ineptly; foolproof; -- of devices, plans, recipes, etc.;
v. t. To design (a device or plan of action) so that it will function properly even if treated badly or executed ineptly; foolproof.
adj. foolish and silly, or appearing silly;
adj. resistant to penetration by grease or oil or wax;
a.
a. Having a hip roof. [ 1913 Webster ]
n.;
On burnished hooves his war horse trode. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]
Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not a hoof be left behind. Ex. x. 26. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. i.
To hoof it,
On the hoof,
beef on the hoof,
a. (Far.) Having a dry and contracted hoof, which occasions pain and lameness. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. Furnished with hoofs. Grew. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. a professional dancer, especially a tap dancer. [ Show business slang ] [ WordNet 1.5 ]
n. a dance in which the steps are more important than gestures or postures.
a. Destitute of hoofs. [ 1913 Webster ]
adj. resembling a hoof. [ WordNet 1.5 ]
‖n. (Zool.) The eland.
‖n. [ D. See Clove a cleft. ] A glen; a ravine closed at its upper end. [ South Africa ] [ 1913 Webster ]
adj. resistant to runs or (in Britain) ladders; -- of hosiery.
adj. having no leaks.
n. (Bot.) The spongelike fibers of the fruit of a cucurbitaceous plant (Luffa Aegyptiaca); called also
n. [ See Luff. ]
v. i. (Naut.) See Luff. [ 1913 Webster ]
[ So called from its inventor,
a. Containing more alcohol than proof spirit; stronger than proof spirit; that is, containing more than 49.3 per cent by weight of alcohol. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ F. pente slope + E. roof, or from penthouse roof. ] See Lean-to. [ 1913 Webster ]