What does "doff" mean?
Followed by off: an act of putting off or turning away someone with an excuse, etc.
Doff
/dɒf/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Followed by off: an act of putting off or turning away someone with an excuse, etc.
- Grammar: doff is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: cast, cast off, dequip gear, detach.
- Useful contrasts: donn, glove, hatting.
- Usage evidence: […] Calidore perceiuing, thought it beſt / To chaunge the manner of his loftie looke; / And doffing his bright armes, himſelfe addreſt / In ſhepheards vveed, and in his hand he tooke, / In ſtead of ſteelehead ſpeare, a ſhepheards hooke, […]
How to use "doff"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "doff" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "doff" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "doff" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "doff" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "doff" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "cast" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "doff", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Followed by off: an act of putting off or turning away someone with an excuse, etc. obsolete, rare
"Faith, Lelia has een giuen him the doff off here, and has made hir father almoſt ſtarke mad."
Verb
- 1 To remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried). transitive
"[…] Calidore perceiuing, thought it beſt / To chaunge the manner of his loftie looke; / And doffing his bright armes, himſelfe addreſt / In ſhepheards vveed, and in his hand he tooke, / In ſtead of ſteelehead ſpeare, a ſhepheards hooke, […]"
- 2 to take off from the body or head wordnet
- 3 To remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried).; To remove or tip (a hat or other headwear) in greeting or salutation, or as a mark of respect. transitive
"The rustics doffed their hats at the clergy."
- 4 To undress (oneself); to divest, to strip. dialectal, reflexive, transitive
"VVhy art thou troubled Herod? vvhat vaine feare / Thy blood-revolving Breſt to rage doth move? / Heavens King, vvho doffs himſelfe vveake fleſh to vveare, / Comes not to rule in vvrath, but ſerve in love."
- 5 To cast aside or get rid of (something), to throw off. figuratively, transitive
"Doff that stupid idea: it will never work."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 To remove (a bobbin or spindle which is full of spun yarn) from a spinning frame for replacement with an empty one. transitive
- 7 To remove (small pieces of cotton or other plant fibre, etc.) from a carding cylinder. transitive
- 8 To put off or turn away (someone) with an excuse, etc. obsolete, transitive
"Euery day, thou dofftſt me, vvith ſome deuiſe Iago; / And rather, as it ſeemes to me, thou keepeſt from me, / All conueniency, then ſupplieſt me, vvith the leaſt / Aduantage of hope: […]"
- 9 To remove or tip a hat or other headwear in greeting or salutation, or as a mark of respect. archaic, intransitive, rare
"And [the goose] feeding high, and living soft, / Grew plump and able-bodied; / Until the grave churchwarden doff'd, / The parson smirk'd and nodded."
- 10 Followed by with: to remove or take off something worn on the body, or something carried. intransitive, obsolete, rare
"VVhy, look'ye, Major Sturgeon, I don't much care for your poppers and ſharpes, becauſe vvhy, they are out of my vvay; but if you vvill doff vvith your boots, and box a couple of bouts."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"[…] Calidore perceiuing, thought it beſt / To chaunge the manner of his loftie looke; / And doffing his bright armes, himſelfe addreſt / In ſhepheards vveed, and in his hand he tooke, / In ſtead of ſteelehead ſpeare, a ſhepheards hooke, […]"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "doff"?
Common synonyms include: cast, cast off, dequip gear, detach, discard, disengage.
How do you use "doff" in a sentence?
[…] Calidore perceiuing, thought it beſt / To chaunge the manner of his loftie looke; / And doffing his bright armes, himſelfe addreſt / In ſhepheards vveed, and in his hand he tooke, / In ſtead of ſteelehead ſpeare, a ſhepheards hooke, […]
How do you pronounce "doff"?
Pronounced /dɒf/.
Etymology
PIE word *h₂epó The verb is derived from Late Middle English doffen (“to take off (clothing); to remove (headwear) as a sign of respect; to remove (grease) by skimming”), a contraction of Middle English do off, don off, from Old English dōn of, from dōn (“to do; to put; to take off, remove”) + of (“from; off”). Dōn is derived from Proto-West Germanic *dōn (“to do; to place, put”), from Proto-Germanic *dōną (“to do; to make; to place, put”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to do; to place, put”). By surface analysis, do + off. Compare don (by surface analysis, do + on), dout (do + out), dup (do + up). The noun is derived from the verb.