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Definition of doff
transitive verb
1a : to remove (an article of wear) from the bodyb : to take off (the hat) in greeting or as a sign of respect
2 : to rid oneself of : put aside
doff one's hat to
ordoff one's cap to
: to show respect to : salute
From the M-W Editors
doff was our Word of the Day on 07/27/2016. Hear the podcast!
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
Examples of doff in a Sentence
He doffed his cap as he introduced himself.
They doffed their coats when they came inside.
Recent Examples of doff from the Web
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A residential surveillance camera recorded the robber doffing the items, according to McGregor.
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On the most excruciatingly hot day, officials did make a tradition-breaking exception, allowing men to doff their coats and hats intermittently.
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After 20 minutes, the runners doffed their ice packs and ran again.
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Tiger Woods' hair is usually covered by a sponsors' cap, to be doffed when the day is done.
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But, although Hacker doesn’t note it explicitly, there’s a liberal version, too, having to do with doffing corporate structures, eschewing inhibiting social norms, and refusing a career in plastics.
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At the top end of the street stands Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, its bright orange shopfront standing out from the crowd of blackness, and featuring the moving model of one of the red-haired twins doffing his hat, bursting out of the windows.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'doff'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Time was, people talked about doffing and donning articles of wear with about the same frequency. But in the mid-19th century the verb don became significantly more popular and left doff to flounder a bit in linguistic semi-obscurity. Doff and don have been a pair from the start: both date to the 14th century, with doff coming from a phrase meaning "to do off" and don from one meaning "to do on." Shakespeare was first, as far as we know, to use the word as it's defined at sense 2. He put it in Juliet's mouth: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet. / … Romeo, doff thy name; / And for that name, which is no part of thee, / Take all myself."
Origin and Etymology of doff
Middle English, from don to do + of off
DOFF Defined for English Language Learners
doff
playDefinition of doff for English Language Learners
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: to take off or remove (a hat or a piece of clothing)
DOFF Defined for Kids
doff
playDefinition of doff for Students
doffed
;doffing
: to take off He politely doffed his cap.
Learn More about doff
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See words that rhyme with doff Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for doff Spanish Central: Translation of doff Nglish: Translation of doff for Spanish speakers
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