1.1Take off or raise (one's hat) as a greeting or token of respect.
‘the manager doffed his hat to her’
‘‘Good afternoon, sir, nice to see you again,’ the liveried porter smiles and doffs his hat.’
‘There was also the whole etiquette of uncovering your head in the presence of your betters and men doffing their hats to ladies and so forth.’
‘Every man in the room duly doffed his hat, including the other photographers, much to the approval of the Royal couple and to the dismay of the bare-headed cameramen who were too busy with their hats to attend to their lens-caps.’
‘When Edward doffed his black top hat to the crowd, the spectators lining each side of the track erupted as if they were spectators at a pop concert.’
‘When's the last time 40 people doffed their hats to you?’
Origin
Late Middle English contraction of do off. Compare with don.
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