A fold or doubling of a thread, cord, rope, etc., through which another thread, cord, etc., can be passed, or which a hook can be hooked into; an eye, as of metal; a staple; a noose; a bight. [1913 Webster]
"That the probation bear no hinge, nor loop
To hang a doubt on." [1913 Webster]
A small, narrow opening; a loophole. [1913 Webster]
"And stop all sight-holes, every loop from whence
The eye of Reason may pry in upon us." [1913 Webster]
A curve of any kind in the form of a loop. [1913 Webster]
A wire forming part of a main circuit and returning to the point from which it starts. [1913 Webster]
The portion of a vibrating string, air column, etc., between two nodes; -- called also ventral segment. [1913 Webster]

Loop knot, a single knot tied in a doubled cord, etc. so as to leave a loop beyond the knot. See Illust. of Knot.

loop, v. t.

To make a loop of or in; to fasten with a loop or loops; -- often with up; as, to loop a string; to loop up a curtain. [1913 Webster]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

loop, n. & v.
--n.
1 a a figure produced by a curve, or a doubled thread etc., that crosses itself. b anything forming this figure.
2 a similarly shaped attachment or ornament formed of cord or thread etc. and fastened at the crossing.
3 a ring or curved piece of material as a handle etc.
4 a contraceptive coil.
5 (in full loop-line) a railway or telegraph line that diverges from a main line and joins it again.
6 a manoeuvre in which an aeroplane describes a vertical loop.
7 Skating a manoeuvre describing a curve that crosses itself, made on a single edge.
8 Electr. a complete circuit for a current.
9 an endless strip of tape or film allowing continuous repetition.
10 Computing a programmed sequence of instructions that is repeated until or while a particular condition is satisfied.
--v.
1 tr. form (thread etc.) into a loop or loops.
2 tr. enclose with or as with a loop.
3 tr. (often foll. by up, back, together) fasten or join with a loop or loops.
4 intr. a form a loop. b move in looplike patterns.
5 intr. (also loop the loop) Aeron. perform an aerobatic loop.

Etymology

ME: orig. unkn.

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THESAURUS

loop

O, air hole, ambit, annular muscle, annulus, arc, arch, areola, armhole, association, aureole, band, bank, beat, begird, belt, belt in, bend, bend back, beset, bilge, blain, bleb, blister, blob, blowhole, boss, bow, braid, break, broken circuit, bubble, bulb, bulge, bulla, bullet-hole, bump, bunch, bunghole, burl, button, cahot, chaplet, chine, cincture, circle, circlet, circuit, circuital field, circumference, circus, closed circle, closed circuit, clump, coil, compass, complete circuit, condyle, conference, convex, corona, coronet, crab, cringle, crook, crown, curl, curve, cycle, dead circuit, deadeye, decurve, deflect, diadem, dip, discus, disk, dome, dowel, ear, embow, encincture, encircle, encompass, engird, enlace, ensphere, entwine, eternal return, eye, eyelet, fairy ring, feather, fishtail, flange, flap, flex, full circle, gall, galvanic circuit, garland, gasket, gird, girdle, glory, gnarl, grommet, ground loop, guide, halo, handle, hill, hook, hoop, hot circuit, hump, hunch, incurvate, incurve, inflect, interknit, interlace, intertie, intertissue, intertwine, intertwist, interweave, intort, jog, joggle, keyhole, knit, knob, knot, knothole, knur, knurl, lace, lap, lasso, lateral circuit, leg, lip, live circuit, logical circle, loom, loophole, looplet, lump, magic circle, magnetic circuit, manhole, mat, microcircuit, mole, mountain, mousehole, multiple circuit, multiple series, net, nevus, noose, nub, nubbin, nubble, orbit, papilloma, path, peephole, peg, pigeonhole, pinhole, placket, placket hole, plait, pleach, plow, porpoise, porthole, printed circuit, pull out, pull up, punch-hole, push down, raddle, radius, recurve, reflect, reflex, retroflex, revolution, rib, ridge, ring, roll, rondelle, round, round trip, roundel, rounds, sag, saucer, series multiple, short, short circuit, shoulder, sideslip, skid, sphincter, spin, spine, spiracle, spiral, splice, staple, stud, stunt, style, swag, sweep, tab, tap, tie, tissue, tour, tubercle, tubercule, turn, twill, twine, twine around, twist, undulate, vault, vector field, vent, venthole, verruca, vesicle, vicious circle, wale, walk, wart, wattle, weave, web, welt, wheel, whorl, wind, wreath, wreathe, wreathe around, yaw, zone

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ROGET THESAURUS

loop

Circuit

N circuit, roundabout way, digression, detour, circumbendibus, ambages, loop, winding, zigzag, circuitous, indirect, roundabout, zigzag, backhanded, by a side wind, by an indirect course, in a roundabout way, from pillar to post.

Curvature

N curvature, curvity, curvation, incurvature, incurvity, incurvation, bend, flexure, flexion, flection, conflexure, crook, hook, bought, bending, deflection, deflexion, inflection, inflexion, concameration, arcuation, devexity, turn, deviation, detour, sweep, curl, curling, bough, recurvity, recurvation, sinuosity, kink, carve, arc, arch, arcade, vault, bow, crescent, half-moon, lunule, horseshoe, loop, crane neck, parabola, hyperbola, helix, spiral, catenary, festoon, conchoid, cardioid, caustic, tracery, arched ceiling, arched roof, bay window, bow window, sine curve, spline, spline curve, spline function, obliquity, curved, curviform, curvilineal, curvilinear, devex, devious, recurved, recurvous, crump, bowed, vaulted, hooked, falciform, falcated, semicircular, crescentic, sinusoid, parabolic, paraboloid, luniform, lunular, semilunar, conchoidal, helical, double helical, spiral, kinky, cordiform, cordated, cardioid, heart shaped, bell shaped, boat shaped, crescent shaped, lens shaped, moon shaped, oar shaped, shield shaped, sickle shaped, tongue shaped, pear shaped, fig shaped, kidney-shaped, reniform, lentiform, lenticular, bow-legged, oblique, circular, aduncated, arclike, arcuate, arched, beaked, bicorn, bicornuous, bicornute, clypeate, clypeiform, cymbiform, embowed, galeiform, hamate, hamiform, hamous, hooked, linguiform, lingulate, lobiform, lunate, navicular, peltate, remiform, rhamphoid, rostrate, rostriferous, rostroid, scutate, scaphoid, uncate, unguiculate, unguiform.

Circularity

N circularity, roundness, rotundity, circle, circlet, ring, areola, hoop, roundlet, annulus, annulet, bracelet, armlet, ringlet, eye, loop, wheel, cycle, orb, orbit, rundle, zone, belt, cordon, band, contrate wheel, crown wheel, hub, nave, sash, girdle, cestus, cincture, baldric, fillet, fascia, wreath, garland, crown, corona, coronet, chaplet, snood, necklace, collar, noose, lasso, lassoo, ellipse, oval, ovule, ellipsoid, cycloid, epicycloid, epicycle, semicircle, quadrant, sextant, sector, sphere, round, rounded, circular, annular, orbicular, oval, ovate, elliptic, elliptical, egg-shaped, pear-shaped, cycloidal, spherical, I watched the little circles die.

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