daff
/dæf/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 1.65 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
3
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Alternative form of daf (“type of drum”).
Example Sentences
- "We'll hauld our court mid the roaring lins, And daff in the lashan' tide"
- "They admired and loved each other—enjoyed easy circumstances—had duties to discharge which they did not neglect; and, clear in conscience as light of heart, laughed, sung, danced, daffed the world aside, and bid it pass."
- "Left thus for long spaces in the company of Betty and the child, that daffed and croddled about her, and even became warmly friendly with me for the sake of my Paris watch and my glittering waistcoat buttons, I made many gallant attempts to get on my old easy footing."
- "As the afternoon progressed, we become 'daffed' out."
- "Young Tam came up and eyed me quick With reddened cheek—Braw Tam was daffed like a chick—He could na speak—Ah Marie they are all gane hame"
- "I made out—to put it clearly—that the Sultan had been far gone in his cups when Kiamil appeared before him; that he had called the Basha such 'daffing' names as 'renegade dog,' 'toothless old hound,' 'hound without scent, that could not smell out an intrigue under his nose;' which agreeable epithets doubtless were flung about because Lorimer, and not he, had got wind of the conspiracy of the notables."
Etymology
From Middle English daf, daffe (“fool, idiot”), from Old Norse daufr (“deaf, stupid”), from Proto-Germanic *daubaz (“deaf, stunned”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ- (“to whisk, whirl, smoke, be obscure”). Doublet of deaf, dof, and dowf. Cognate with Swedish döv (“deaf”), Danish døv (“deaf, stupid”). More at deaf.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- British English: /dæf/