loop 1
/loohp/ , n.
1. a portion of a cord, ribbon, etc., folded or doubled upon itself so as to leave an opening between the parts.
2. anything shaped more or less like a loop, as a line drawn on paper, a part of a letter, a part of a path, or a line of motion.
3. a curved piece or a ring of metal, wood, or the like, used for the insertion of something, as a handle, etc.
4. See intrauterine device .
5. Aeron. a maneuver executed by an airplane in such a manner that the airplane describes a closed curve in a vertical plane.
6. a circular area at the end of a trolley line, railroad line, etc., where cars turn around.
7. an arm of a cloverleaf where traffic may turn off or onto a main road or highway.
8. Physics. the part of a vibrating string, column of air or other medium, etc., between two adjacent nodes.
9. Elect. a closed electric or magnetic circuit.
10. Computers. the reiteration of a set of instructions in a routine or program.
11. a wire, usually of platinum, one end of which is curved to form a loop, used for transferring microorganisms from one medium to another.
12. a sand bar that encloses or nearly encloses a body of water.
13. Figure Skating. a school figure in which a skater traces a large half circle, a small oval within its arc, and another large half circle to complete the figure while remaining on the same skating edge.
14. the loop , a group or network of insiders or influential people; inner circle: to be out of the loop on policy decisions.
15. the Loop , the main business district of Chicago.
16. throw or knock for a loop , to astonish or upset: Her quitting the project really threw me for a loop.
v.t.
17. to form into a loop.
18. to make a loop in.
19. to enfold or encircle in or with something arranged in a loop.
20. to fasten by forming into a loop, or by means of something formed into a loop (often fol. by up ): to loop up the new draperies.
21. to cause (a missile or projectile) to trace a looping or looplike trajectory through the air: to loop a grenade into the building.
22. to fly (an airplane) in a loop or series of loops.
23. to construct a closed electric or magnetic circuit.
24. Motion Pictures. to complete by means of looping: We still have to loop the final scenes.
v.i.
25. to make or form a loop: The river loops around the two counties.
26. to move by forming loops, as a measuringworm.
27. to trace a looping or looplike path through the air: The fly ball looped high in the air.
28. to perform a loop or series of loops in an airplane.
29. Motion Pictures. to record dialogue, sound effects, etc., onto an existing film track or soundtrack.
[ 1350-1400; ME loupe loop of cloth, perh. lub loop, bend ]
loop 2
/loohp/ , n. Archaic.
a small or narrow opening, as in a wall; loophole.
[ 1300-50; ME loupe window; cf. MD lupen peep, peer ]
loop 3
/loohp/ , n. Metalworking.
a hot bloom of pasty consistency, to be worked under a hammer or in rolls.
[ 1665-75; loupe, special use of loupe wen, knob, gnarl ]