PUFF

puff, puffed

(adjective) gathered for protruding fullness; “puff sleeves”

blow, puff

(noun) forceful exhalation through the nose or mouth; “he gave his nose a loud blow”; “he blew out all the candles with a single puff”

puff, drag, pull

(noun) a slow inhalation (as of tobacco smoke); “he took a puff on his pipe”; “he took a drag on his cigarette and expelled the smoke slowly”

ottoman, pouf, pouffe, puff, hassock

(noun) thick cushion used as a seat

powderpuff, puff

(noun) a soft spherical object made from fluffy fibers; for applying powder to the skin

quilt, comforter, comfort, puff

(noun) bedding made of two layers of cloth filled with stuffing and stitched together

puff

(noun) exaggerated praise (as for promotional purposes)

puff

(noun) a light inflated pastry or puff shell

puff, puff of air, whiff

(noun) a short light gust of air

pant, puff, gasp, heave

(verb) breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted; “The runners reached the finish line, panting heavily”

puff, huff, chuff

(verb) blow hard and loudly; “he huffed and puffed as he made his way up the mountain”

puff, puff up, blow up, puff out

(verb) to swell or cause to enlarge; “Her faced puffed up from the drugs”; “puffed out chests”

puff

(verb) speak in a blustering or scornful manner; “A puffing kind of man”

puff, puff up

(verb) praise extravagantly; “The critics puffed up this Broadway production”

puff, whiff

(verb) smoke and exhale strongly; “puff a cigar”; “whiff a pipe”

puff, drag, draw

(verb) suck in or take (air); “draw a deep breath”; “draw on a cigarette”

puff

(verb) make proud or conceited; “The sudden fame puffed her ego”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology 1

Noun

puff (countable and uncountable, plural puffs)

(countable) A sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth.

(uncountable) The ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself.

Synonym: wind

(countable) A small quantity of gas or smoke in the air.

(countable) A sudden gust.

(informal, countable) An act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe.

Synonym: drag

(countable) A flamboyant or alluring statement of praise.

(dated, slang) 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.

A puffball.

A powder puff.

(uncountable, slang) The drug cannabis.

Synonym: Thesaurus:marijuana

(countable) A light cake filled with cream, cream cheese, etc.

Synonyms: pastry, cream puff

(derogatory, slang, British, particularly northern UK) synonym of poof: a male homosexual, especially an effeminate one.

(slang, dated, UK) Life.

A portion of fabric gathered up so as to be left full in the middle.

(genetics) A region of a chromosome exhibiting a local increase in diameter.

Etymology 2

Verb

puff (third-person singular simple present puffs, present participle puffing, simple past and past participle puffed)

(intransitive) To emit smoke, gas, etc, in puffs.

(intransitive) To pant.

(transitive, archaic) To advertise.

To blow as an expression of scorn.

To swell with air; to be dilated or inflated.

To breathe in a swelling, inflated, or pompous manner; hence, to assume importance.

To drive with a puff, or with puffs.

To repel with words; to blow at contemptuously.

To cause to swell or dilate; to inflate.

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

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

Source: Wiktionary


Puff, n. Etym: [Akin to G. & Sw. puff a blow, Dan. puf, D. pof; of imitative origin. Cf. Buffet.]

1. A sudden and single emission of breath from the mouth; hence, any sudden or short blast of wind; a slight gust; a whiff. " To every puff of wind a slave." Flatman.

2. Anything light and filled with air. Specifically: (a) A puffball. (b) kind of light pastry. (c) A utensil of the toilet for dusting the skin or hair with powder.

3. An exaggerated or empty expression of praise, especially one in a public journal. Puff adder. (Zoöl.) (a) Any South African viper belonging to Clotho and allied genera. They are exceedingly venomous, and have the power of greatly distending their bodies when irritated. The common puff adder (Vipera, or Clotho, arietans) is the largest species, becoming over four feet long. The plumed puff adder (C. cornuta) has a plumelike appendage over each eye. (b) A North American harmless snake (Heterodon platyrrhinos) which has the power of puffing up its body. Called also hog-nose snake, flathead, spreading adder, and blowing adder. Puff bird (Zoöl.), any bird of the genus Bucco, or family Bucconidæ. They are small birds, usually with dull-colored and loose plumage, and have twelve tail feathers. See Barbet (b).

Puff, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Puffed; p. pr. & vb. n. Puffing.] Etym: [Akin to G. puffen to pop, buffet, puff, D. poffen to pop, puffen to blow, Sw. puffa to push, to cuff, Dan. puffe to pop, thump. See Puff, n.]

1. To blow in puffs, or with short and sudden whiffs.

2. To blow, as an expression of scorn; -- with at. It is really to defy Heaven to puff at damnation. South.

3. To breathe quick and hard, or with puffs, as after violent exertion. The ass comes back again, puffing and blowing, from the chase. L' Estrange.

4. To swell with air; to be dilated or inflated. Boyle.

5. To breathe in a swelling, inflated, or pompous manner; hence, to assume importance. Then came brave Glory puffing by. Herbert.

Puff, v. t.

1. To drive with a puff, or with puffs. The clearing north will puff the clouds away. Dryden.

2. To repel with words; to blow at contemptuously. I puff the prostitute away. Dryden.

3. To cause to swell or dilate; to inflate; to ruffle with puffs; -- often with up; as a bladder puffed with air. The sea puffed up with winds. Shak.

4. To inflate with pride, flattery, self-esteem, or the like; -- often with up. Puffed up with military success. Jowett (Thucyd. )

5. To praise with exaggeration; to flatter; to call public attention to by praises; to praise unduly. " Puffed with wonderful skill." Macaulay.

Puff, a.

Definition: Puffed up; vain. [R.] Fanshawe.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Coffee Trivia

The word “coffee” entered the English language in 1582 via the Dutch “koffie,” borrowed from the Ottoman Turkish “kahve,” borrowed in turn from the Arabic “qahwah.” The Arabic word qahwah was traditionally held to refer to a type of wine.

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