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Puff

//pʌf// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    gathered for protruding fullness wordnet
Noun
  1. 1
    A sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth. countable
  2. 2
    forceful exhalation through the nose or mouth wordnet
  3. 3
    The ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself. uncountable

    "out of puff"

  4. 4
    a slow inhalation (as of tobacco smoke) wordnet
  5. 5
    A small quantity of gas or smoke in the air. countable

    "puff of smoke"

Show 18 more definitions
  1. 6
    thick cushion used as a seat wordnet
  2. 7
    A sudden but small gust of wind, smoke, etc. countable

    "to every puff of wind a slave"

  3. 8
    a soft spherical object made from fluffy fibers; for applying powder to the skin wordnet
  4. 9
    An act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe. countable, informal

    "When I went to bed that night I found that I could not get to sleep. At five o'clock I got up and took a hot bath. I climbed back into bed and lighted one of the Chinese-made "Great Wall" cigars my hosts had thoughtfully provided, and sat puffing on the cigar and making notes about the events of the momentous week."

  5. 10
    bedding made of two layers of cloth filled with stuffing and stitched together wordnet
  6. 11
    The drug cannabis. slang, uncountable
  7. 12
    exaggerated praise (as for promotional purposes) wordnet
  8. 13
    A flamboyant or alluring statement of praise. countable

    "[…] though I care not one straw for the personal puffs of which I myself am so often the subject […]"

  9. 14
    a light inflated pastry or puff shell wordnet
  10. 15
    A portion of fabric gathered up so as to be left full in the middle. countable, uncountable

    "a sleeve with a puff at the shoulder"

  11. 16
    a short light gust of air wordnet
  12. 17
    A light cake filled with cream, cream cheese, etc. countable

    "cream puff"

  13. 18
    A puffball. countable, uncountable

    "Bozzacchio, an acorne. Also a puffe or mushrump full of dust."

  14. 19
    A powder puff. countable, uncountable
  15. 20
    A puffer, one who is employed by the owner or seller of goods sold at auction to bid up the price; an act or scam of that type. countable, dated, slang, uncountable

    "Is nothing to be said in praise of the "Emporiums" and "Repositories" and "Divans," which formerly were mere insignificant tailors', toymen's, and tobacconists' shops? Is the transition from the barber's pole to the revolving bust of the perruquier, nothing? — the leap from the bare counter-traversed shop to the carpeted and mirrored saloon of trade, nothing? Are they not, one and all, practical puffs, intended to invest commerce with elegance, and to throw a halo round extravagance?"

  16. 21
    A region of a chromosome exhibiting a local increase in diameter. countable, uncountable
  17. 22
    Life. UK, countable, dated, slang, uncountable

    "Did you ever in your puff see such a perfect perisher?"

  18. 23
    Synonym of poof: a gay man; especially one who is effeminate. Northern-England, countable, derogatory, slang, uncountable
Verb
  1. 1
    To emit smoke, gas, etc., in puffs. intransitive

    "Still on the down line, the engine puffed away to the South, and in a few moments had disappeared in the darkness!"

  2. 2
    breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted wordnet
  3. 3
    To pant. intransitive

    "By and by comes the ass back again, Puffing and Blowing, from the Chase."

  4. 4
    blow hard and loudly wordnet
  5. 5
    To advertise. archaic, transitive
Show 14 more definitions
  1. 6
    to swell or cause to enlarge wordnet
  2. 7
    To blow as an expression of scorn.

    "It is really to defy Heaven to puff at damnation."

  3. 8
    speak in a blustering or scornful manner wordnet
  4. 9
    To swell with air; to be dilated or inflated.

    "'tis easy for a man to have a great opinion of his own knowledge , and be puff'd up by it"

  5. 10
    praise extravagantly wordnet
  6. 11
    To breathe in a swelling, inflated, or pompous manner; hence, to assume importance.

    "Then came brave Glory puffing by."

  7. 12
    smoke and exhale strongly wordnet
  8. 13
    To drive with a puff, or with puffs.

    "The clearing north will puff the clouds away."

  9. 14
    suck in or take (air) wordnet
  10. 15
    To repel with words; to blow at contemptuously.

    "I puff the prostitute away."

  11. 16
    make proud or conceited wordnet
  12. 17
    To cause to swell or dilate; to inflate.

    "a bladder puffed with air"

  13. 18
    To inflate with pride, flattery, self-esteem, etc.; often with up.

    "puffed up with military success"

  14. 19
    To praise with exaggeration; to flatter; to call public attention to by praises; to praise unduly.

    "puffed with wonderful skill"

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English puff, puf, from Old English pyf (“a blast of wind, puff”), from Proto-West Germanic *puf(f)- (“to blow, puff”), of imitative origin. Cognate with Dutch puf (“puff, wind, fart”), Middle Low German puf, pof (“puff”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English puffen, from Old English pyffan (“to breathe out, blow with the mouth”). Compare Dutch puffen, German Low German puffen, German puffen, Danish puffe, Swedish puffa.

See also for "puff"

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