loaf

¹

[ lohf ]

noun

, plural loaves [lohvz].

1. a portion of bread or cake baked in a shaped or molded mass, usually oblong with a rounded top:

   I try to keep a loaf of sliced bread in the freezer.

2. a shaped or molded mass of food, as of ground meat or vegetables:

   The loaf is made with lentils and vegetables, and you can see the colorful bits of bell peppers speckled through it.

3. British.
   1. the rounded head of a cabbage, lettuce, etc.
   2. Slang: Older Use. head or brains:

      Use your loaf.

loaf

²

[ lohf ]

verb (used without object)

1. to idle away time:

   He figured the mall was as good a place as any for loafing.

2. to lounge or saunter lazily and idly:

   We loafed for hours along the water's edge.

   Synonyms: idle, loll

verb (used with object)

1. to pass idly (usually followed by away ):

   to loaf one's life away.

loaf

¹

/ ləʊf /

verb

1. intr to loiter or lounge around in an idle way
2. trfoll byaway to spend (time) idly

   he loafed away his life

loaf

²

/ ləʊf /

noun

1. a shaped mass of baked bread
2. any shaped or moulded mass of food, such as cooked meat
3. slang.
   the head; sense

   use your loaf!

Other Words From

• un·loafing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of loaf¹

First recorded before 950; Middle English lo(o)f, Old English hlāf “loaf, bread”; cognate with German Laib, Old Norse hleifr, Gothic hlaifs

Origin of loaf²

An Americanism first recorded in 1825–35; back formation from loafer

Word History and Origins

Origin of loaf¹

C19: perhaps back formation from loafer

Origin of loaf²

Old English hlāf; related to Old High German hleib bread, Old Norse hleifr, Latin libum cake

Idioms and Phrases

see half a loaf is better than none .

Synonym Study

See lounge.

Example Sentences

But rather than fix it, the owner sends balls of dough to another firm that shoves them in a working oven and sells the loaves back to the baker.

From BBC

One discarded pile of oat pulp or moldy loaf of bread, at a time.

From Salon

Even when you have a dull show or bake a bad loaf you gotta dust yourself off and learn and do better next time.

From Los Angeles Times

Is a loaf cake simply a standard cake batter baked in a smaller, uniquely shaped tin?

From Salon

Denis Quinn, prosecuting, said Edwards had claimed he had gone into the city centre to buy a loaf of bread, but got "drawn into what was happening".

From BBC

Related Words

• bun
• cake
• cube
• dough
• pastry
• slab