Word
loaf
US/ˈɫoʊf/
UK/lˈəʊf/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a single piece of bread that has been baked in one shape and can be sliced. You usually buy it whole and cut it into pieces at home.
n. a shaped mass of bread or other food baked in one piece. Often used as a unit of measurement for bread products.
Examples
“I bought a fresh loaf of bread from the bakery.”
“She sliced the entire loaf to make sandwiches for the children's school lunches.”
“The artisanal bakery produces a sourdough loaf that requires a forty-eight-hour fermentation process to achieve its characteristic airy texture and thick, dark crust.”
Examples
simple
“I bought a fresh loaf of bread from the bakery.”
contextual
“She sliced the entire loaf to make sandwiches for the children's school lunches.”
complex
“The artisanal bakery produces a sourdough loaf that requires a forty-eight-hour fermentation process to achieve its characteristic airy texture and thick, dark crust.”
Usage
The plural form is 'loaves'.
Pitfall
two loafs of bread
two loaves of bread
Nouns ending in -af or -af often change to -aves in the plural.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *hlaibaz Proto-West Germanic *hlaib Old English hlāf Middle English lof English loaf From Middle English laf, lof, loof, from Old English hlāf (“bread; loaf”), from Proto-West Germanic hlaib, from Proto-Germanic *hlaibaz (“bread; loaf”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to Old English hlifian (“to stand out prominently, tower up”). Cognates Cognate with German Laib (“loaf”), Danish and Swedish lev (“loaf”), Faroese leivur (“an oblong bun”), Icelandic hleifur (“loaf”), Norwegian Nynorsk leiv (“loaf”), Gothic 𐌷𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌱𐍃 (hlaibs), 𐌷𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍆𐍃 (hlaifs, “bread”) (whence Proto-Slavic *xlěbъ (“bread”) (see there for further descendants)), Estonian leib (“black bread”), Finnish leipä (“bread; loaf”); also Latvian klaips (“loaf”), Lithuanian kliẽpas (“loaf”). Doublet of chleb and khleb. * (brain or head): Rhyming slang, ellipsis of loaf of bread.
Probably a back-formation from loafer.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
Idioms
01. loaf about
02. loaf around
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/loaf