loof

noun

1. (anatomy, now chiefly dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) The palm of the hand.

2. (anatomy, now chiefly dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) The hand, especially, the hand outspread and upturned.

3. (nautical, obsolete) A contrivance (apparently a paddle or an oar) used for altering the course of a ship.

4. (nautical) The after part of the bow of a ship where the sides begin to curve.

5. The spongy fibers of the fruit of a cucurbitaceous plant (Luffa aegyptiaca).