I. ˈləf noun
Etymology: Middle English lof spar holding out the windward tack of a sail, weather side of a ship, from Anglo-French
Date: 14th century
1. : the act of sailing a ship nearer the wind
2. : the forward edge of a fore-and-aft sail
II. intransitive verb
Date: 14th century
: to turn the head of a ship toward the wind