coif

• coiffe

From Middle French coiffer, from Late Latin cofia, of West Germanic origin. See also Middle High German kupfe (“cap”), Old High German kupphia (“cap”), Polish cipa (“vulva”), Tocharian kŭpŭ (vulva)[1], Proto-Indo-European *gwheibh

• IPA^(key): /kwɑf/, /kɔɪf/
• Rhymes: -ɒf, -ɔɪf

• Homophone: quaff

coif (plural coifs)

1. A hairdo.
2. (historical) A hood; a close-fitting cap covering much of the head, widespread until the 18th century; after that worn only by small children and country women.
3. (historical) An item of chain mail headgear.
4. An official headdress, such as that worn by certain judges in England.
   • H. Brocke

     From point and saucy ermine down / To the plain coif and russet gown.

   • Francis Bacon

     The judges, […] althout they are not of the first magnitude, nor need be of the degree of the coif, yet are they considerable.

coif (third-person singular simple present coifs, present participle coiffing or coifing, simple past and past participle coiffed or coifed)

1. (transitive) To style or arrange hair.
   • 1925, Ezra Pound, Canto I:

     Circe’s this craft, the trim-coifed goddess.

• FICO, fico, foci

From Late Latin cofea. Compare French coiffe.

coif n (plural coifuri)

1. casque

• cască