doff

English

Etymology

From Middle English doffen (“take off”), contraction of Old English dōn of. Equivalent to a blend of do +‎ off. Compare don, dup, dout, gauf.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɒf/
• IPA^(key): /dɔf/
• IPA^(key): /dɑf/
• Rhymes: -ɒf

Verb

doff (third-person singular simple present doffs, present participle doffing, simple past and past participle doffed)

1. (clothing) To remove or take off, especially of clothing.
   • Shakespeare

     And made us doff our easy robes of peace.

   • Emerson

     At night, or in the rain, / He dons a surcoat which he doffs at morn.

   • 1960, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing, chapter VII:

     She had doffed the shirt and Bermuda-shorts which she had been wearing and was now dressed for her journey home.

2. To remove or tip a hat, as in greeting, salutation or as a mark of respect.

   The rustics doffed their hats at the clergy.

3. To get rid of, to throw off.

   Doff that stupid idea: it would never work.

   • 1778, Charles Dibdin, The Perfect Sailor:

     Thus Death, who kings and tars despatches, / In vain Tom's life has doffed, / For, though his body's under hatches / His soul has gone aloft.

4. (reflexive) To strip; to divest; to undress.
   • Crashaw:

     Heaven's King, who doffs himself our flesh to wear.

Synonyms

• (remove clothing): take off

Antonyms

• (remove or take off clothing): don

Derived terms

• doffer

Translations

to remove or take off, especially of clothing

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Dutch: uitdoen (nl), ontdoen (nl)
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: riisua (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Latin: exuō
• Maori: unu (mi)
• Russian: снима́ть (ru) (snimátʹ)
• Tibetan: ཕུད (phud)

to remove or tip a hat, as in greeting, salutation or as a mark of respect

• Finnish: nostaa hattua
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: снима́ть (ru) (snimátʹ)

to get rid of, to throw off

• Dutch: verwerpen (nl)
• Finnish: hylätä (fi), heittää pois (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: выбра́сывать (ru) (vybrásyvatʹ)