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Cuff

//kʌf// name, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname.
Noun
  1. 1
    Glove; mitten obsolete
  2. 2
    A handcuff. informal, plural, plural-only
  3. 3
    A blow, especially with the open hand; a box; a slap.

    "The Sarazin sore daunted with the buffe / Snatcheth his sword, and fiercely to him flies; / Who well it wards, and quyteth cuff with cuff:"

  4. 4
    The scruff of the neck. Scotland
  5. 5
    the lap consisting of a turned-back hem encircling the end of the sleeve or leg wordnet
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  1. 6
    The end of a shirt sleeve that covers the wrist.
  2. 7
    shackle that consists of a metal loop that can be locked around the wrist; usually used in pairs wordnet
  3. 8
    The end of a pants leg when folded up.
  4. 9
    A surgical procedure in which parts of the body that were not previously connected are stitched together.
Verb
  1. 1
    To furnish with cuffs. transitive
  2. 2
    To handcuff. transitive
  3. 3
    To hit, as a reproach, particularly with the open palm to the head; to slap. transitive

    "I swear I'll cuff you, if you strike again."

  4. 4
    confine or restrain with or as if with manacles or handcuffs wordnet
  5. 5
    To enter into a committed romantic relationship with (someone). slang, transitive

    "cuffing season"

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  1. 6
    To fight; to scuffle; to box. intransitive

    "While the peers cuff to make the rabble sport."

  2. 7
    hit with the hand wordnet
  3. 8
    To buffet.

    "cuffed by the gale"

  4. 9
    to get involved in a relationship with another person wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English cuffe, coffe (“glove, mitten”), of obscure origin. Perhaps from Old English cuffie (“hood, cap”), from Medieval Latin cofia, cofea, cuffa, cuphia (“helmet, headdress, hood, cap”), from Frankish *kuf(f)ja (“headdress”), from Proto-West Germanic *kuffju, from Proto-Germanic *kupjō (“cap”). Cognate with Middle High German kupfe (“cap”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English cuffe, coffe (“glove, mitten”), of obscure origin. Perhaps from Old English cuffie (“hood, cap”), from Medieval Latin cofia, cofea, cuffa, cuphia (“helmet, headdress, hood, cap”), from Frankish *kuf(f)ja (“headdress”), from Proto-West Germanic *kuffju, from Proto-Germanic *kupjō (“cap”). Cognate with Middle High German kupfe (“cap”).

Etymology 3

Clipping of handcuff.

Etymology 4

Clipping of handcuff.

Etymology 5

1520, “to hit”, apparently of North Germanic origin, from Norwegian kuffa (“to push, shove”) or Swedish kuffa (“to knock, thrust, strike”), from the Proto-Germanic base *skuf- (skuƀ), from Proto-Indo-European *skewbʰ-, see also Lithuanian skùbti (“to hurry”), Polish skubać (“to pluck”), Albanian humb (“to lose”). Germanic cognates include Low German kuffen (“to box the ears”), German kuffen (“to thrash”). More at scuff, shove, scuffle.

Etymology 6

1520, “to hit”, apparently of North Germanic origin, from Norwegian kuffa (“to push, shove”) or Swedish kuffa (“to knock, thrust, strike”), from the Proto-Germanic base *skuf- (skuƀ), from Proto-Indo-European *skewbʰ-, see also Lithuanian skùbti (“to hurry”), Polish skubać (“to pluck”), Albanian humb (“to lose”). Germanic cognates include Low German kuffen (“to box the ears”), German kuffen (“to thrash”). More at scuff, shove, scuffle.

Etymology 7

Various etymologies: * As an English surname, from Middle English cuffe (“glove”); see cuff. * As an Irish surname, from mac duibh (“son of the dark one”), see Duff. * As a Cornish surname, from cuf (“kind, dear”), from Proto-Celtic *koymo- (“nice, dear”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóymos (“village, home”); see home.

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