aloof
Syllabification: (a·loof)
Pronunciation: /əˈlo͞of/
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Definition of aloof
adjective
Origin:
mid 16th century: from a-2 (expressing direction) + luff. The term was originally an adverb in nautical use, meaning 'away and to windward!', i.e., with the ship's head kept close to the wind away from a lee shore, etc., toward which it might otherwise drift. From this arose the sense 'at a distance' literally or figuratively
