What does "tufty" mean?
The tufted duck (Aythya fuligula).
Tufty
/ˈtʌfti/ adj, noun, slang
adj, noun, slang ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The tufted duck (Aythya fuligula).
- Grammar: tufty is listed as adj, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: caespitose, cespitose, chenille, sedgy.
- Usage evidence: There was a bed of nothing but mignonette and another of nothing but pansies—borders of double and single daisies and all kinds of little tufty plants she had never seen before.
How to use "tufty"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tufty" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "tufty" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "tufty" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tufty" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "tufty" is acting as adj, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "caespitose" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "tufty", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The tufted duck (Aythya fuligula). British, informal
"Buoyant. That's a tufty. Well, tufted duck, to be formal, but the name always sounds more like tufty duck, and there is something inspiringly matey about a tufty: we are on nickname terms with the bird at first glance."
Adjective
- 1 Having the form of or resembling a tuft (“a bunch of grass, hair, etc., held together at the base”).
"There was a bed of nothing but mignonette and another of nothing but pansies—borders of double and single daisies and all kinds of little tufty plants she had never seen before."
- 2 Of a cow: seeking a bull to mate with. obsolete
- 3 Covered in or having many tufts.
"Witneſs, thou best Anâna, thou the pride / Of vegetable life, beyond whate’er / The poets imaged in the golden age: / Quick let me strip thee of thy tufty coat, / Spread thy ambroſial ſtores, and feaſt with Jove!"
- 4 Covered in or having many tufts.; Covered with tufts (“small clumps of bushes or trees”). obsolete, rare
"The Sylvans that about the neighbouring vvoods did dvvell, / Both in the tufty Frith and in the moſſy Fell, / Forſook their gloomy Bovvres, and vvandred farre abroad, / Expeld their quiet fears, and place of their abode, […]"
- 5 Growing in tufts.
"If you haue ſeene at foot of ſome braue hill, / Tvvo Springs ariſe, and delicately trill, / In gentle chidings through an humble dale, / (VVhere tufty Daizies nod at euery gale) […]"
Example
"There was a bed of nothing but mignonette and another of nothing but pansies—borders of double and single daisies and all kinds of little tufty plants she had never seen before."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tufty"?
Common synonyms include: caespitose, cespitose, chenille, sedgy, tufted, tufting.
How do you use "tufty" in a sentence?
There was a bed of nothing but mignonette and another of nothing but pansies—borders of double and single daisies and all kinds of little tufty plants she had never seen before.
How do you pronounce "tufty"?
Pronounced /ˈtʌfti/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From tuft + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of’ forming adjectives).
Etymology 2
From tuft(ed duck) + -y (diminutive suffix).
Etymology 3
Origin unknown.