doff

D2O1F4F4
UK/dɒf/US/dɔf/US, cot caught merger/dɑf/

verb

To remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried).

“Doff that stupid idea: it will never work.”

Opposite
donput on
OriginMiddle English doffen ← Old English dōn of ← Proto-West Germanic *dōn →
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

verbdoff (third-person singular simple present doffs, present participle doffing, simple past and past participle doffed)

present singular third person doffs · participle present doffing · participle past doffed · past doffed · first person past singular doffed · archaic present second person singular doffest · past second person singular doffed · archaic past second person singular doffedst · present singular third person doffs · archaic present singular third person doffeth · past singular third person doffed · past plural doffed · past subjunctive doffed · participle present doffing · participle past doffed

  1. transitivebusinessTo remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried).

    The little vvarriors doff the targe and ſpear, […]

    1771, James Beattie, The Minstrel; or, The Progress of Genius. A Poem. Book the First, London: […] E[dward] & C[harles] Dilly, […]; Edinburgh: A[lexander] Kincaid and W[illiam] Creech; and J[ohn] Bell, […], →OCLC, stanza XXXVII, page 19
    5 more examples

    […] Calidore perceiuing, thought it beſt / To chaunge the manner of his loftie looke; / And doffing his bright armes, himſelfe addreſt / In ſhepheards vveed, and in his hand he tooke, / In ſtead of ſteelehead ſpeare, a ſhepheards hooke, […]

    1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, stanza 36, page 476

    Thou vveare a Lyons hide, doff it for ſhame, / And hang a Calues skin on thoſe recreant limbes.

    c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], page 9, column 1

    You haue deceiu'd our truſt, / And made vs doffe our eaſie roabes of peace, / To cruſh our old limbs in vngentle ſteele, / This is not vvell my Lord, this is not vvell.

    c. 1597 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The History of Henrie the Fourth; […], quarto edition, London: […] P[eter] S[hort] for Andrew Wise, […], published 1598, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], signature I2, recto

    [T]hen made him d'off thoſe vveeds: / And ſent the Mightie vnto mightie deeds.

    1626, Ovid, “The Thirteenth Booke”, in George Sandys, transl., Ovid’s Metamorphosis Englished […], London: […] William Stansby, →OCLC, page 259

    Upon a riſing bank I ſat adovvn, / Then doff'd my ſhoe, […]

    1714, J[ohn] Gay, “Thursday; or, The Spell”, in The Shepherd’s Week. In Six Pastorals, London: […] R. Burleigh […], →OCLC, page 32, lines 20–21

    Antonyms: don, put on

    1. transitivebusinessTo remove or tip (a hat or other headwear) in greeting or salutation, or as a mark of respect.

      The rustics doffed their hats at the clergy.

      2 more examples

      [H]is courtesy to show, / He doffed, to Marmion bending low, / His broidered cap and plume.

      1808 February 22, Walter Scott, “Canto Fifth. The Court.”, in Marmion; a Tale of Flodden Field, Edinburgh: […] J[ames] Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Company, […]; London: William Miller, and John Murray, →OCLC, stanza VIII, page 252

      Were there really seventy-three ways to doff one's hat? / There were! I'd rather suspected that

      2010, Jim Burke, “Hail the Chap”, in I Say!, performed by Mr.B The Gentleman Rhymer [pseudonym; Jim Burke]

      Antonyms: don, put on

  2. dialectalreflexivetransitivearchaic except UKTo undress (oneself); to divest, to strip.

    VVhy art thou troubled Herod? vvhat vaine feare / Thy blood-revolving Breſt to rage doth move? / Heavens King, vvho doffs himſelfe vveake fleſh to vveare, / Comes not to rule in vvrath, but ſerve in love.

    1646, Richard Crashaw, “Sospetto d’Herode. Libro Primo.”, in Steps to the Temple. Sacred Poems, with Other Delights of the Muses, London: […] T. W. for Humphrey Moseley, […], →OCLC, stanza 65, page 72
  3. figurativelytransitiveTo cast aside or get rid of (something), to throw off.

    Doff that stupid idea: it will never work.

    5 more examples

    […] Romeo doffe thy name, / And for thy name vvhich is no part of thee, / Take all my ſelfe.

    c. 1591–1595 (date written), [William Shakespeare], […] Romeo and Iuliet. […] (Second Quarto), London: […] Thomas Creede, for Cuthbert Burby, […], published 1599, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], signature D2, verso

    [H]ee (to requite their courteſie) oftentimes d'offeth off his ovvne Nature, and puts of theirs; as vvhen hee becomes as churliſh as a Hogge, or as drunke as a Sovv: […]

    1599 (first performance), B. I. [i.e., Ben Jonson], The Comicall Satyre of Euery Man out of His Humor. […], London: […] [Adam Islip] for William Holme, […], published 1600, →OCLC, Act V, scene iii, signature [P iv], verso

    Novv is the time of helpe: your eye in Scotland / VVould create Soldiours, make our vvomen fight, / To doffe their dire diſtreſſes.

    c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii], page 147, column 2

    Thus death, vvho kings and tars deſpatches, / Tom's life hath vainly doff'd; / For though his body's under hatches, / His ſoul is gone aloft.

    [1781?], [Charles] Dibdin, “Poor Tom: Or, The Sailor’s Epitaph”, in The Bull-finch. Being a Choice Collection of the Newest and Most Favourite English Songs which have been Sett to Music and Sung at the Public Theatres & Gardens, London: […] G[eorge] Robinson and R[ichards] Baldwin […], and G. & J. Wilkie […], →OCLC, stanza 3, page 199

    Power laid his rod of rule aside, / And Ceremony doffed his pride.

    1808 February 22, Walter Scott, “Introduction to Canto Sixth: To Richard Heber, Esq.”, in Marmion; a Tale of Flodden Field, Edinburgh: […] J[ames] Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Company, […]; London: William Miller, and John Murray, →OCLC, page 301
  4. transitivebusinessTo remove (a bobbin or spindle which is full of spun yarn) from a spinning frame for replacement with an empty one.
  5. transitivebusinessTo remove (small pieces of cotton or other plant fibre, etc.) from a carding cylinder.
  6. obsoletetransitiveTo put off or turn away (someone) with an excuse, etc.

    Euery day, thou dofftſt me, vvith ſome deuiſe Iago; / And rather, as it ſeemes to me, thou keepeſt from me, / All conueniency, then ſupplieſt me, vvith the leaſt / Aduantage of hope: […]

    c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragœdy of Othello, the Moore of Venice. […] (First Quarto), London: […] N[icholas] O[kes] for Thomas Walkley, […], published 1622, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii], pages 77–78
    1 more example

    VVhen to one Goat, they reach that prickly vveed, / VVhich maketh all the reſt forbeare to feed; / Or ſtrevv Tods haires, or vvith their tailes do ſvveepe / The devvy graſſe, to d'off the ſimpler ſheepe; […]

    a. 1638 (date written), Benjamin Jonson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “The Sad Shepherd: Or, A Tale of Robin-Hood”, in The Workes of Benjamin Jonson. The Second Volume. […] (Second Folio), London: […] Richard Meighen, published 1640, →OCLC, Act I, scene iiii, page 134
  7. archaicintransitiverareTo remove or tip a hat or other headwear in greeting or salutation, or as a mark of respect.

    And [the goose] feeding high, and living soft, / Grew plump and able-bodied; / Until the grave churchwarden doff'd, / The parson smirk'd and nodded.

    1832, Alfred Tennyson, “The Goose”, in Poems. […], volume I, London: Edward Moxon, […], published 1842, →OCLC, stanza V, page 231
  8. intransitiveobsoleterareFollowed by with: to remove or take off something worn on the body, or something carried.

    VVhy, look'ye, Major Sturgeon, I don't much care for your poppers and ſharpes, becauſe vvhy, they are out of my vvay; but if you vvill doff vvith your boots, and box a couple of bouts.

    1763 June 20 (first performance), Samuel Foote, The Mayor of Garret. A Comedy, […], London: […] P[aul] Vaillant, […], published 1764, →OCLC, Act II, scene [ii], page 45
noundoff (plural doffs)

plural doffs

  1. obsoleterareFollowed by off: an act of putting off or turning away someone with an excuse, etc.

    Faith, Lelia has een giuen him the doff off here, and has made hir father almoſt ſtarke mad.

    1606, A Pleasant Comedie, Called Wily Beguilde. […], London: […] H[umphrey] L[ownes] for Clement Knight; […], →OCLC, [scene xi], page 38, lines [1221–1222]

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried).

Opposite
donput on

verbTo remove or tip (a hat or other headwear) in greeting or salutation, or as a mark of respect.

Opposite
donput on
Also see
casttake offuncoverundress

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-“to do; to place, put”
  2. Proto-Germanic*dōną“to do; to make; to place, put”
  3. Proto-West Germanic*dōn“to do; to place, put”
  4. Old Englishdōn of
  5. Middle Englishdo off
  6. Middle Englishdoffen“to take off (clothing); to remove (headwear) as a sign of respect; to remove (grease) by skimming”
  7. Englishdoff

PIE word *h₂epó The verb is derived from Late Middle English doffen (“to take off (clothing); to remove (headwear) as a sign of respect; to remove (grease) by skimming”), a contraction of Middle English do off, don off, from Old English dōn of, from dōn (“to do; to put; to take off, remove”) + of (“from; off”). Dōn is derived from Proto-West Germanic *dōn (“to do; to place, put”), from Proto-Germanic *dōną (“to do; to make; to place, put”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to do; to place, put”). By surface analysis, do + off. Compare don (by surface analysis, do + on), dout (do + out), dup (do + up). The noun is derived from the verb.

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian свалям, снемам
  • свалям (svaljam)to remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried)
  • снемам (snemam)(transitive) to remove or tip (a hat or other headwear) in greeting or salutation, or as a mark of respect; (intransitive) to remove or tip a hat or other headwear in greeting or salutation, or as a mark of respect
Catalan treure
  • treureto remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried)
Czech sundat, sundat si
  • sundatto remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried)
  • sundat sito remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried)
  • smeknout(transitive) to remove or tip (a hat or other headwear) in greeting or salutation, or as a mark of respect; (intransitive) to remove or tip a hat or other headwear in greeting or salutation, or as a mark of respect
Dutch uitdoen, ontdoen
  • uitdoento remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried)
  • ontdoento remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried)
Esperanto devesti
  • devestito remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried)
Finnish vaihtaa, kuoria
  • vaihtaato remove (a bobbin or spindle which is full of yarn) from a spinning frame for replacement with an empty one
  • kuoriato remove (small pieces of cotton or other plant fibre, etc.) from a carding cylinder
  • riisuato remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried)
  • nostaa hattua(transitive) to remove or tip (a hat or other headwear) in greeting or salutation, or as a mark of respect; (intransitive) to remove or tip a hat or other headwear in greeting or salutation, or as a mark of respect
French ôter, enlever
  • ôterto remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried)
  • enleverto remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried)
Italian togliere
  • togliereto remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried)
Latin exuō
  • exuōto remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried)
Māori unu
  • unuto remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried)
Portuguese tirar
  • tirarto remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried)
Russian снима́ть, снима́ть
  • снима́ть (snimátʹ)to remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried)
  • снима́ть (snimátʹ)(transitive) to remove or tip (a hat or other headwear) in greeting or salutation, or as a mark of respect; (intransitive) to remove or tip a hat or other headwear in greeting or salutation, or as a mark of respect
Spanish quitarse
  • quitarseto remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried)
Tamil கழற்று
  • கழற்று (kaḻaṟṟu)to remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried)
Vietnamese cởi, bỏ
  • cởito remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried)
  • bỏ(transitive) to remove or tip (a hat or other headwear) in greeting or salutation, or as a mark of respect; (intransitive) to remove or tip a hat or other headwear in greeting or salutation, or as a mark of respect

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with doff

ofcoughtroughgoffloughscoffKalashnikovcoifshroffquaffschroffeff offkeepings offqophshowing offsmofsnoughVan Gogh
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

doff. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/doff

MLA

“doff.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/doff. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “doff,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/doff.

Source: doff on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.