Adjacent Words

Oaf definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

OAF, n. [said to be a corruption of ouph or elf, a fairy or demon, and to denote a foolish child left by fairies in the place of one of better intellects which they steal.]
1. A changeling; a foolish child left by fairies in the place of another.
2. A dolt; an idiot; a blockhead.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an awkward stupid person [syn: lout, clod, stumblebum, goon, oaf, lubber, lummox, lump, gawk]

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural oafs) Etymology: alteration of auf, alfe goblin's child, probably from Middle English alven, elven elf, fairy, from Old English elfen nymphs; akin to Old English ælf elf — more at elf Date: 1625 1. a stupid person ; boob 2. a big clumsy slow-witted person • oafish adjective • oafishly adverb • oafishness noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. oafs) 1 an awkward lout. 2 a stupid person. Derivatives: oafish adj. oafishly adv. oafishness n. Etymology: orig. = elf's child, var. of obs. auf f. ON álfr elf

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Oaf Oaf ([=o]f), n. [See Auf.] Originally, an elf's child; a changeling left by fairies or goblins; hence, a deformed or foolish child; a simpleton; an idiot.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Auf Auf ([add]f), n. [OE. auph, aulf, fr. Icel. [=a]lfr elf. See Elf.] [Also spelt oaf, ouphe.] A changeling or elf child, -- that is, one left by fairies; a deformed or foolish child; a simpleton; an oaf. [Obs.] --Drayton.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(oafs) If you refer to someone, especially a man or boy, as an oaf, you think that they are impolite, clumsy, or aggressive. Leave the lady alone, you drunken oaf. = lout N-COUNT: oft adj N [disapproval]

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Changeling (when a foolish child is left in place of another). 2. Fool, simpleton, dolt, idiot, blockhead, dunce.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

A silly fellow.

Moby Thesaurus

babe, baboon, beast, blockhead, blunderbuss, blunderer, blunderhead, boob, booby, boor, botcher, bruiser, brute, bull, bumbler, bumpkin, bungler, child, child of nature, chump, clod, clodhopper, clodknocker, clot, clown, dolt, dolthead, dove, dub, dupe, fathead, fumbler, galoot, gaum, gawk, gawky, gorilla, gowk, hayseed, hick, hulk, infant, ingenue, innocent, klutz, lamb, lobster, looby, lout, lubber, lug, lummox, lump, meathead, mere child, missing link, noble savage, ox, palooka, rube, simple soul, slob, slouch, slubberer, unsophisticate, yokel