puff

[ puhf ]

noun

1. a short, quick blast, as of wind or breath.
2. an abrupt emission of air, smoke, vapor, etc.
3. an act of inhaling and exhaling, as on a cigarette or pipe; whiff.
4. the sound of an abrupt emission of air, vapor, etc.
5. a small quantity of vapor, smoke, etc., emitted at one blast.
6. an inflated or distended part of a thing; swelling; protuberance.
7. a form of light pastry with a filling of cream, jam, or the like.
8. a portion of material gathered and held down at the edges but left full in the middle, as on a sleeve.
9. a cylindrical roll of hair.
10. a quilted bed covering, usually filled with down.
11. a commendation, especially an exaggerated one, of a book, an actor's performance, etc.

    Synonyms: flattery, puffery, exaggeration, overpraise

12. powder puff.
13. a ball or pad of soft material.
14. puffball.
15. Chiefly British Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a gay man.

verb (used without object)

1. to blow with short, quick blasts, as the wind.
2. to be emitted in a puff.
3. to emit a puff or puffs; breathe quick and hard, as after violent exertion.
4. to go with puffing or panting.
5. to emit puffs or whiffs of vapor or smoke.
6. to move with such puffs:

   The locomotive puffed into the station.

7. to take puffs at a cigar, cigarette, etc.
8. to become inflated, distended, or swollen (usually followed by up ).
9. (especially of an auctioneer's accomplice) to bid on an item at an auction solely to increase the price that the final bidder must pay.

verb (used with object)

1. to send forth (air, vapor, etc.) in short, quick blasts.
2. to drive or impel by puffing, or with a short, quick blast.
3. to extinguish by means of a puff (usually followed by out ):

   to puff a match out.

4. to smoke (a cigar, cigarette, etc.).
5. to inflate, distend, or swell, especially with air.
6. to make fluffy; fluff (often followed by up ):

   to puff up a pillow.

7. to inflate with pride, vanity, etc. (often followed by up ):

   Their applause puffed him up.

8. to praise unduly or with exaggeration.
9. to apply powder to (the cheeks, neck, etc.) with a powder puff.
10. to apply (powder) with a powder puff.
11. to arrange in puffs, as the hair.

puff

/ pʌf /

noun

1. a short quick draught, gust, or emission, as of wind, smoke, air, etc, esp a forceful one
2. the amount of wind, smoke, etc, released in a puff
3. the sound made by or associated with a puff
4. an instance of inhaling and expelling the breath as in smoking
5. a swelling
6. a light aerated pastry usually filled with cream, jam, etc
7. a powder puff
8. exaggerated praise, as of a book, product, etc, esp through an advertisement
9. a piece of clothing fabric gathered up so as to bulge in the centre while being held together at the edges
10. a loose piece of hair wound into a cylindrical roll, usually over a pad, and pinned in place in a coiffure
11. a less common word for quilt
12. one's breath (esp in the phrase out of puff )
13. derogatory.
    a male homosexual
14. a dialect word for puffball

verb

1. to blow or breathe or cause to blow or breathe in short quick draughts or blasts
2. tr; often foll by out; usually passive to cause to be out of breath
3. to take puffs or draws at (a cigarette, cigar, or pipe)
4. to move with or by the emission of puffs

   the steam train puffed up the incline

5. often foll byup, out, etc to swell, as with air, pride, etc
6. tr to praise with exaggerated empty words, often in advertising
7. tr to apply (cosmetic powder) from a powder puff to (the face)
8. to increase the price of (a lot in an auction) artificially by having an accomplice make false bids

Other Words From

• puff·ing·ly adverb
• un·puffed adjective
• un·puff·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of puff¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English verb puffen, Old English pyffan, puffan (compare Middle Dutch puffen ); imitative of the sound

Word History and Origins

Origin of puff¹

Old English pyffan; related to Dutch German puffen, Swiss pfuffen, Norwegian puffa, all of imitative origin

Example Sentences

We get our beef on Wednesdays, clean it and create all the necessary components including the crepes, mushroom duxelle and puff pastry on Thursdays.

From Salon

"He got even more angry and puffed up a bit more and looked like he was actually going to chuck me in and my daughter," she said.

From BBC

The retired aerospace engineer, who lives in Sierra Madre, did about four reps before his teeth clenched, his legs trembled and he let out short puffs of air through pursed lips.

From Los Angeles Times

When he mocks and ridicules people who many right-leaning men believe have disrespected them, it puffs them up a little bit.

From Salon

You can even cheat and use store-bought puff pastry!

From Salon

Related Words

• whiff
• wisp