Oof

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ÊŠf/, /uːf/
• Rhymes: -ÊŠf, -uːf

(onomatopoeia)

Full definition of oof

Interjection

1. A sound mimicking the loss of air, as if someone's solar plexus had just been struck.

From ooftish or possibly connected with French Å“uf ("egg")

Noun

1. (UK, slang, dated, c. 1850 – c. 1940) Money.
• 1888, H. Rider Haggard, Colonel Quaritch V.C. (archive.org ebook), page 232:“Oh,” Johnnie was saying, “so Quest is his name, is it, and he lives in a city called Boisingham, does he? Is he an oof bird?” (rich)
  “Rather,” answered the Tiger, “if only one can make the dollars run, but he's a nasty mean boy, he is.
• 1911–1912, published 1916, Sir Gilbert Parker, 1st Baronet, The World For Sale, book 2, chapter 10 (Gutenberg ebook, archive.org ebook):What's he after? Oof—oof—oof, that's what he's after. He's for his own pocket, he's for being boss of all the woolly West. He's after keeping us poor and making himself rich.

Derived terms

• oof-bird
• oofless
• oofy

Anagrams

• foo