loop

Noun

1. A length of thread, line or rope that is doubled over to make an opening.
2. The opening so formed.
3. A shape produced by a curve that bends around and crosses itself.
4. A ring road or beltway.
5. An endless strip of tape or film allowing continuous repetition.
6. A complete circuit for an electric current.
7. A programmed sequence of instructions that is repeated until or while a particular condition is satisfied.
8. An edge that begins and ends on the same vertex.
9. A path that starts and ends at the same point.
10. A bus or rail route, walking route, etc. that starts and ends at the same point.
11. A place at a terminus where trains or trams can turn round and go back the other way without having to reverse; a balloon loop, turning loop, or reversing loop.
12. A passing loop.
13. A quasigroup with an identity element.
14. A loop-shaped intrauterine device.
15. An aerobatic maneuver in which an aircraft flies a circular path in a vertical plane.
16. A small, narrow opening; a loophole.
17. (alt-of, alternative) Alternative form of loup (“mass of iron”).
18. A flexible region in a protein's secondary structure.
19. (Canada, US, dated) A sports league
20. The curved path of the ball bowled by a spin bowler.

Verb

1. (transitive) To form something into a loop.
2. (transitive) To fasten or encircle something with a loop.
3. (transitive) To fly an aircraft in a loop.
4. (transitive) To move something in a loop.
5. (transitive) To play something (such as a song or video) in a loop.
6. (transitive) To join electrical components to complete a circuit.
7. (transitive) To duplicate the route of a pipeline.
8. (transitive) To create an error in a computer program so that it runs in an endless loop and the computer freezes up.
9. (intransitive) To form a loop.
10. (intransitive) To move in a loop.
11. To place in a loop.
12. (ambitransitive) To have the teacher progress through multiple school years with the same students.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/luːp/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: loupe

Cognate with Swedish: löpknut

Cognate with Danish: løbknude

Cognate with Danish: løb

In summary

From Middle English loupe (“noose, loop”), earlier lowp-knot (“loop-knot”), of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse hlaup (“a run”), used in the sense of a "running knot", from hlaupa (“to leap”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *hlaupaną (“to leap, run”). Compare Swedish löp-knut (“loop-knot”), Danish løb-knude (“a running knot”), Danish løb (“a course”). More at leap. The verb is derived from the noun.

Synonyms

ring

💍

coil

circle

⭕

noose

spiral

curl

hoop

cycle

snare

twine

circuit

mesh

eye

👁️

entwine

knot

🪢

stitch

closed circuit

roll

circulate

sling

handle

grummet

iteration

intertwine

loop topology

closed curve

contraceptive device

convulate

cringle

loop-the-loop

twist

band

turn

slip-knot

attach

bind

skirt

bight

revolve

rotate

eyelet

catch

grommet

lap

kink

helix

curve

slipknot

breast

crimp

Translations

boucle

➿

pętla

Schleife

🙇

Schlinge

➿

βρόχος

cappio

Schlaufe

➿

bucle

strik

laço

θηλιά

maille

maas

ciclo

lus

➿

Sentences

The new bridge is wide enough for the passing loop to be extended .

The uptown and downtown express tracks pass over the loop , continuing south .