adverb
oft
AWFT/ɔːft/
Often or frequently.
The traveler returns to the oft-visited bridge through the changing seasons.
Etymology
Old English oft already meant “again and again.” Its meaning has stayed stable, but often replaced it in everyday use, leaving oft chiefly poetic, old-fashioned, or used in compounds.
In context
it's one of the most, if not the most oft used colors. So I think you do see a massive rise in the use of the color, the word blue throughout this period
More examples
- He repeats an oft-told tale about his childhood.
- The old saying is oft quoted but seldom explained.
- She returns to the oft-visited place in her dreams.
Forms
oft
Similar words
- often
- The usual modern form.
- frequently
- Frequently is ordinary modern usage; oft is poetic or deliberately old-fashioned.