aloft

English

Etymology

From Old Norse á lopti (“in the sky”); equivalent to a- +‎ loft.

Pronunciation

• (US) enPR: ə-lôft', IPA^(key): /əˈlɔft/

  Rhymes: -ɔːft

• (US, cot–caught merger, Canada) enPR: ə-lŏft', IPA^(key): /əˈlɑft/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: ə-lŏft', IPA^(key): /əˈlɒft/

  Rhymes: -ɒft

Adverb

aloft (comparative more aloft, superlative most aloft)

1. At, to, or in the air or sky.

   high winds aloft

2. Above, overhead, in a high place; up.
   • 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island:

     Someone's turned the chest out alow and aloft.

   • 1954, William Golding, Lord of the Flies:

     He noticed that he still held the knife aloft and brought his arm down, replacing the blade in the sheath.

   • 2017 June 11, Ben Fisher, “England seal Under-20 World Cup glory as Dominic Calvert-Lewin strikes”, in the Guardian‎^[1]:

     Lewis Cook held the trophy aloft after becoming the first England captain to lead his country to victory in a major global final since Sir Bobby Moore. A white sea of confetti slowly filled the pitch, with each England player taking hold of the trophy on the stage swiftly erected in Suwon to kick-start the celebrations.

3. (nautical) In the top, at the masthead, or on the higher yards or rigging.
   • 1859, James Fenimore Cooper, The Red Rover: A Tale:

     I think you said something concerning the manner in which yonder ship has anchored, and of the condition they keep things alow and aloft?

Derived terms

• come aloft
• gone aloft
• stitch aloft
• take aloft

 

Related terms

• loft
• lofty

Translations

In the air, high up

• Finnish: ilmassa, korkealla
• Greek:

  Ancient: ὕψι (húpsi)

• Maori: kaurera

above

• Bulgarian: високо (bg) (visoko), нависоко (navisoko)
• Finnish: ylhäällä (fi), yläpuolella (fi)
• French: en haut (fr), en l’air (fr)
• Greek:

  Ancient: ὕψῐ (húpsi)

• Italian: sopra (it)
• Portuguese: nas alturas
• Russian: высоко (ru) (vysoko)
• Slovak: hore, vysoko

in the top, at the masthead, or on the higher yards or rigging

• Finnish: ylhäällä mastossa
• Irish: i gcrann
• Italian: all`apice

See also

• alow

References

• “aloft”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• float, flota