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American Dictionary of the English Language

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Luff


LUFF, noun The palm of the hand.

LUFF, noun

Weather-gage, or part towards the wind; or the sailing of a ship close to the wind.

LUFF, verb intransitive To turn the head of a ship towards the wind; to sail nearer the wind. Hence, in the imperative, luff is an order to put the tiller on the lee-side, in order to make the ship sail nearer the wind. luff round, or luff a-lee, is the extreme of this movement, intended to throw the ship's head into the wind. A ship is said to spring her luff when she yields to the helm by sailing nearer the wind.

LUFF'-TACKLE, noun A large tackle not destined for any particular place in the ship, but movable at pleasure.