woof

IPA/wʊf/
KK[wˈuf]IPA/wʊf/

woof — noun

  • woofsingular
  • woofsplural

1. a short deep bark from a dog

1.nounA2
Definition

a short deep bark from a dog

Example

A deep woof came from the porch when the mail arrived.

hear a woof from a guarding dog

The puppy gave one soft woof from inside the travel crate.

Common collocations
  • a deep woof
  • one soft woof
  • hear two woofs
Synonyms
  • bark

    The broader everyday word for a dog's cry.

  • yap

    Usually suggests a higher, sharper sound from a small dog.

Grammar Patterns

a woof

hear a woof

let out a woof

Usage Note

Usually follows verbs like hear, give, or let out when the sound itself is the focus.

2. in gay slang, a strong attractive man who makes people react with immediate desi

2.nounC1
Definition

in gay slang, a strong attractive man who makes people react with immediate desire

Example

At brunch, Gabriel said the new lifeguard was such a woof.

such a woof - informal noun of attraction

The group chat agreed that the drummer from Seoul was a woof.

Common collocations
  • such a woof
  • a real woof
Synonyms
  • hunk

    A close informal match, often for a very muscular attractive man.

  • stud

    Can suggest confidence and sex appeal, but it is broader and more mainstream.

Grammar Patterns

such a woof

a real woof

Usage Note

Mostly used jokingly or flirtatiously in gay male slang, often about a man whose body stands out immediately.

3. the crosswise threads carried through the warp to make woven cloth

3.nounC2
Definition

the crosswise threads carried through the warp to make woven cloth

Example

In class, the students passed the woof through the warp by hand.

weaving term: woof moves through the warp

This old loom keeps the woof tight, so the cloth feels smooth.

Common collocations
  • blue woof
  • woof and warp
  • keep the woof tight
Synonyms
  • weft

    The usual modern term for the same crosswise threads.

Antonyms
  • warp

    The lengthwise threads that the woof passes across.

Grammar Patterns

woof and warp

the woof crosses the warp

Usage Note

Technical weaving term. It usually refers to the cross threads as a material, and weft is the more common modern word.

woof — verb

woof — exclamation

Etymology

First known use

12th century

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Verb