Puffback
noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any bird of the genus Dryoscopus.
- 2 The (unintended) emission of soot or smoke from a furnace or boiler into a structure, typically caused by a burner failing to ignite properly, allowing a buildup of fumes which explode and expel soot or smoke into the structure.
"Puffback can also be caused by a faulty pressure regulator that allows oil to drip into the combustion chamber after the burner shuts down. The leaking oil gets absorbed by the lining of the combustion chamber, and it can also pool[…]"
Example
More examples"Puffback can also be caused by a faulty pressure regulator that allows oil to drip into the combustion chamber after the burner shuts down. The leaking oil gets absorbed by the lining of the combustion chamber, and it can also pool[…]"
Etymology
From puff + back.
Related phrases
More for "puffback"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.