LOOM  , a

machine for weaving fabrics by in,ersecting the longitudinal threads, the " warp," i.e . " thpt which is thrown across " (O.E. wearp, from weor pan, to throw, cf . Ger. werfen) with the transverse threads, the " weft," i.e . " that which is woven " (O.E. wefta, from wefan, to weave, cf . Ger. weben) . The O.E. geloma and M.E. lome meant an implement or tool of any kind . In the sense of property, furniture, &c., it appears in heirloom (q.v.) . The earliest example with its specific meaning quoted by the New English Dictionary is from the Nottingham Records of 1404 (see WEAVING) . " Loom " in the sense of " to appear indistinctly," to come into view in an exaggerated indistinct shape, must be distinguished from the above word . This appears to have been a sailor's term for the indistinct or exaggerated appearance of land, a vessel or other object through haze or darkness at sea . It is of obscure origin, but has been connected through the O .