Word: doff (verb)

Associations

"Doff" means to take off or remove something, usually clothing or a hat. It is often used in a formal or old-fashioned way.

• "He doffed his hat to greet the lady." Here, "doff" means he took off his hat as a sign of respect.
• "She doffed her coat when she entered the warm room." This means she removed her coat.
• "The knight doffed his helmet after the battle." This means he took off his helmet. A well-known synonym is "take off." The difference is that "doff" is more formal or old-fashioned, often used in literature or polite speech, while "take off" is common and used in everyday language.

Substitution

You can replace "doff" with:

• "take off" — more common and casual.
• "remove" — more general, can be used for clothing or other things.
• "lift" or "raise" — only sometimes, for example, lifting a hat slightly. Using "doff" sounds polite or old-fashioned, while "take off" is simple and modern.

Deconstruction

The word "doff" comes from old English and is a shortened form of "do off":

• "do" means to perform an action.
• "off" means to remove or away. Together, "do off" literally meant to remove something, especially clothing or accessories. Over time, "doff" became one word and kept this meaning.

Inquiry

• When would you use "doff" instead of "take off"? Can you think of a polite or formal situation?
• Have you ever seen someone doff a hat or a coat? What was the reason?
• How does using "doff" change the feeling or tone of a sentence compared to "take off"?