woof
English · Thesaurus
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woof¹
- /wuːf/ UK
- /wʊf/ US
- /wuf/ US
Rhymes with -uːf, -ʊf
Where it comes from
The noun is derived from Middle English wof, oof, owf (“threads in a piece of woven fabric at right angles to the warp, weft, woof; also sometimes the warp; transverse filaments of a spider web”) [and other forms] (the forms beginning with w were influenced by warp and weft), from Old English ōwef, āwef, from ō-, ā- (prefix meaning ‘away; from; off; out’) + *wef (“web”) (only attested in the form gewef (“woof”); from wefan (“to weave”), from Proto-West Germanic *weban (“to weave”), from Proto-Germanic *webaną (“to weave”), from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to braid; to weave”)).
The verb is derived from the noun.
noun woofs
- The set of yarns carried by the shuttle of a loom which are placed crosswise at right angles to and interlaced with the warp; the weft. When the plage of leproſye is in a cloth: […] that cloth ſhalbe burnt, ether warpe or wolfe, whether it be wollen or lynen or any thynge that is made of ſkynne where the plage is, […]
- A woven fabric; also, the texture of a fabric. [T]his is no lavv unto the vvoof of the neat Retiarie Spider, vvhich ſeems to vveave vvithout tranſverſion, and by the union of right lines to make out a continued ſurface, vvhich is beyond the common art of Textury, and may ſtill nettle Minerva the Godeſſe of that myſtery.
- The thread or yarn used to form the weft of woven fabric; the fill, the weft. [F]irſt I muſt put off / Theſe my skie robes ſpun out of Iris vvooffe, / And take the vveeds and likeneſſe of a Svvaine, […]
-
Synonym of weaving (“the process of making woven material on a loom”).
Mean time Alcyone (his Fate unknovvn) / Computes hovv many Nights he had been gone, / […] / Againſt the promis'd Time provides vvith care, / And haſtens in the VVoof the Robes he vvas to vvear: / And for her Self employs another Loom, / Nevv-dreſs'd to meet her Lord returning home, / Flatt'ring her
Similar: weaving
- Something which is interwoven with another thing. [T]he woof of self-interest is so cunningly interwoven with the warp of righteous feeling that very few of us can tell where the threads cross.
- An underlying foundation or structure of something; a fabric. The proces of that Oration was of the ſame woofe and thrid with the beginning; […]
verb woofs · woofing · woofed
- To place (yarns) crosswise at right angles to and interlaced with the warp in a loom. And warp well the long threads, / The bright threads, the strong threads; / Woof well the cross threads, / To make the colours shine.
- To interweave (something) with another thing; to weave (several things) together. Here and there, where the land has not been cleared and the tide of dense swamp-forest closes upon the road, one gazes into the fearful tangle of vegetation, warped and woofed together by lianas and creeping plants of every description, and then realises what the work of clearing has been.
woof²
- /wʊf/ US, UK
Rhymes with -ʊf
Where it comes from
The interjection and noun are onomatopoeic. Interjection etymology 2, interjection sense 2 (“used to express strong physical attraction for someone”) probably alludes to the eager barking of a dog.
The verb is probably derived from the interjection and the noun. Verb etymology 2, verb sense 1.2 (“to eat (food) voraciously”) may be influenced by or, alternatively, derived from wolf (“to eat (food) voraciously, devour, gobble”).
interjection
- Used to indicate the sound of a dog barking, or something resembling it. Presently, from the depths of the bush behind us, came a loud "woof, woof!" "That's a lion," said I, and we all started up to listen.
- Used to express strong physical attraction for someone. I see a hardworking man, with a smile that lights up a room—very sexy—woof!
noun woofs
- The sound a dog makes when barking; a bark.
- A sound resembling a dog's bark. He looked up and out a moment as there came to his ear, dully but unmistakably above the roar of the engine, the hoarse "woof" of a bursting anti-aircraft shell.
- A low-frequency sound of bad quality produced by a loudspeaker.
verb woofs · woofing · woofed
- To say (something) in an aggressive or boastful manner.
- To eat (food) voraciously; to devour, to gobble, to wolf. [N]othing makes me feel better than to see my dog's woofing down their food.
- Of a dog: to bark. A nondescript cur came out from behind the house, stopped in surprise, and started good-naturedly woof-woofing at me, his eyes slit, his shaggy belly all muddy, and then walked about a little and woofed once more.
- Of a person or thing: to make a sound resembling a dog's bark. A few minutes later a new [grizzly] bear came out on the big log upstream— […] Within seconds she knew something was wrong. She woofed, bounded off the log and came raging down toward us through the timber. There, not far away, she smashed back and forth, woofing and growling.
- To speak in an aggressive or boastful manner. "Miss, you know uh heap uh dese hard heads wants to woof at you but dey skeered." / "How come, Mr. Pitts? Do I look like a bear or panther?" / "Naw, but dey say youse rich and dey ain't got de nerve to open dey mouf."
woof³
Where it comes from
From WWOOF, an acronym of World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms which is a network of national organizations that facilitate homestays on organic farms.
verb woofs · woofing · woofed
- Alternative form of wwoof Our two children are immediately involved in a frantic game of touch rugby orchestrated by Vinny, an Irish backpacker, who is WOOFing his way around New Zealand.
woof⁴
- /ʰᵿʰ/ US
Where it comes from
Onomatopoeic.
interjection
- Oof.
- Phew.
WOOF⁵
noun
- Initialism of well-off older folks
proper noun
- Alternative form of WWOOF; a network organization that helps wwoofers connect up with organic farms that are offering work opportunities. They also run classes, pizza nights, and welcome WOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) voluntary apprentices.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: weft, pick, filling, whoosh, phwoar, whoa, arf, wow, qow, warp, weaving, woolly, folkweave, abb-wool, abb wool, worming
Translations
Every language
noun set of yarns carried by the shuttle of a loom which are placed crosswise at right angles to and interlaced with the warp — see also weft
| Español | trama |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 씨실 ssisil, 위사 wisa |
| 日本語 | 横糸 yokoito, 緯 yokoito |
| 中文 | 緯 /纬 wěi, 緯紗 /纬纱 wěishā |
| Português | trama |
| Français | trame |
| Deutsch | Schussfaden |
| Italiano | trama |
| Ελληνικά | υφάδι yfádi |
| Română | bătătură |
| Русский | уто́к utók |
| עברית | עֵרֶב 'érev |
noun woven fabric
| Română | țesătură |
|---|
noun something which is interwoven with another thing
| Română | țesătură |
|---|
verb to place (yarns) crosswise at right angles to and interlaced with the warp in a loom
| Română | urzi |
|---|
intj the sound of a dog barking
| Español | guau |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 멍멍 meongmeong |
| 日本語 | ワンワン wanwan |
| 中文 | 汪 wāng |
| Português | au au |
| Français | ouaf |
| Deutsch | wau, wuff |
| Italiano | bau |
| Ελληνικά | γαβ gav, γαυ gaf, γαφ gaf |
| Română | ham, țah |
| Русский | гав gav |
| العربية | هَوْ haw |
intj expressing strong physical attraction for someone
| Română | mâr |
|---|
noun sound a dog makes when barking — see also bark
| Español | guau |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 멍멍 meongmeong |
| 日本語 | ワン wan |
| 中文 | 汪汪 wāngwāng |
| Português | ão-ão, au-au |
| Français | ouaf, oua-oua |
| Deutsch | wuff, rawau, wau |
| Italiano | bau bau |
| Ελληνικά | γαβ gav |
| Română | ham-ham, ham, țah |
| Русский | гав-гав gav-gav |
| Tiếng Việt | gâu gâu |
| العربية | هَو هَو haw haw |
| עברית | הָאוּ hau, הַב hav |
verb to say (something) in an aggressive or boastful manner
| Română | lătra |
|---|
verb of a dog: to bark — see also bark
| 日本語 | ウーとうなる ū to unaru |
|---|---|
| Português | latir |
| Français | aboyer |
| Italiano | abbaiare, latrare |
| Ελληνικά | γαβγίζω gavgízo |
| Română | lătra |
| Русский | ла́ять lájatʹ |
verb of a person or thing: to make a sound resembling a dog’s bark
| Română | lătra |
|---|
Talk about this word "woof." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/woof. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. woof. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/woof "woof." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/woof.Cite this
@misc{woof_2026,
title = {woof},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/woof},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
