woof
|woof|
/wʊf/
short dog bark
Etymology
'woof' (sound) originates from English as an imitative/onomatopoeic word echoing the sound made by a dog; 'woof' (weaving) originates from Old English/Middle English words related to 'weft'.
'woof' as an imitative dog-sound is recorded from Early Modern English (16th–17th century) and comes from natural vocal imitation; the weaving sense evolved from Old English and Middle English forms of 'weft' (Old English related to verbs meaning 'to weave') and later appeared as dialectal 'woof'.
The imitative sense initially meant the sound a dog makes and has remained largely the same; the weaving sense initially referred to the transverse threads in woven fabric and has continued to mean 'weft', though 'woof' for this sense became regional or archaic.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a short, sharp bark made by a dog; the sound 'woof'.
The dog gave a single woof when someone knocked.
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Noun 2
the crosswise threads in weaving; the weft (chiefly dialectal or archaic).
The loom's woof was a different color from the warp.
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Verb 1
to make the short barking sound 'woof' (said of a dog).
The guard dog woofed at the stranger.
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Last updated: 2026/01/17 12:36