loft

1 of 2

noun

1
: an upper room or floor : attic
2
a
: a gallery in a church or hall
b
: one of the upper floors of a warehouse or business building especially when not partitioned
living in a converted loft
c
3
a
: the backward slant of the face of a golf-club head
b
: the act of lofting
4
: the thickness of a fabric or insulating material (such as goose down)
loftlike adjective

loft

2 of 2

verb

lofted; lofting; lofts

transitive verb

1
: to place, house, or store in a loft
2
: to propel through the air or into space
lofted a long hit to center
instruments lofted by a powerful rocket
3
: to lay out a full-sized working drawing of the lines and contours of (such as a ship's hull)

intransitive verb

1
: to propel a ball high into the air
2
: to rise high

Examples of loft in a Sentence

Noun The kids' bedroom has a loft. He rents a converted loft. Verb He lofted a home run into the stands. The explosion lofted dust high into the air.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
This two-bedroom loft features new hardwood floors, exposed brick, arched windows, original beams, a fireplace, and a refreshed kitchen with granite counters and subway tiles. The Week Staff, theweek, 19 Nov. 2024 The interior of the beanie features alternating high and low loft stripes for a mix of insulation and breathability, effectively venting heat during high-output efforts. Lisa Jhung, Outside Online, 15 Nov. 2024
Verb
Conversely, lofting the front wheel over an obstacle had the fork smacking loudly into the extension limit. William Roberson, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024 Williams then lofted a perfect back-shoulder pass to receiver Keenan Allen against cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt. Kevin Fishbain, The Athletic, 15 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for loft 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English, air, sky, from Old Norse lopt; akin to Old High German luft air

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1518, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of loft was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near loft

Cite this Entry

“Loft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loft. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

loft

1 of 2 noun
1
: an upper room or floor : attic
2
a
: a gallery in a church or hall
organ loft
b
: an upper floor of a warehouse or business building when not partitioned
c
3
: the backward slant of the face of a golf-club head

loft

2 of 2 verb
1
: to place, house, or store in a loft
2
: to strike or throw a ball so that it rises high in the air
lofted a high fly to center field

More from Merriam-Webster on loft

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!