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puff Definition

puff (puf)

noun

    1. a short, sudden burst or gust, as of wind, or an expulsion, as of breath
    2. the sound of this
    3. a small quantity of vapor, smoke, etc. expelled at one time
  2. a draw at a cigarette, pipe, etc.
  3. a swelling, or a protuberance caused by swelling
  4. a shell of soft, light pastry filled with whipped cream, custard, etc.
  5. a soft, bulging mass of material, full in the middle and gathered in at the edges
  6. a soft roll of hair on the head
  7. a soft pad for dabbing powder on the skin or hair
  8. a quilted bed covering with cotton, wool, or down filling
    1. Archaic vain show; bluff
    2. an advertisement, review, etc., as of a book, containing undue or exaggerated praise

Etymology: ME puf < OE pyff < the v.

intransitive verb

  1. to blow in puffs, as the wind
    1. to give forth puffs of smoke, steam, etc.
    2. to breathe rapidly and hard, as from running
  3. to move, giving forth puffs: with away, out, in, etc.
  4. to come in puffs, as smoke
    1. to fill (out or up), as with air
    2. to become inflated, as with pride: with out or up
    3. to swell (out or up), as skin tissue
  6. to take a puff or puffs at a cigarette, pipe, etc.

Etymology: ME puffen < OE pyffan, of echoic orig.

transitive verb

  1. to blow, drive, give forth, etc. in or with a puff or puffs
  2. to swell; distend; inflate
  3. to praise unduly
  4. to write or print a puff of to puff a novel
  5. to smoke (a cigarette, pipe, etc.)
  6. to set (the hair) in soft, round masses or rolls

puff Synonyms

puff

n.

whiff, sudden gust, quick blast; see wind.

puff Synonyms

puff

v.

  1. To flatter

    commend, admire, congratulate; see praise 1.

  2. To inflate

    distend, enlarge, swell; see fill 1.

  3. To blow

    exhale, pant, whiff; see blow 1.

  4. To smoke

    inhale, draw, drag, pull; see smoke 2.

puff Usage Examples

Object

  • sleeve: It has three quarter length sleeves puffed at the top.
  • rice: All your favorite foods are re-made in the style of puffed wheat or puffed rice.
  • smoke: A snug, isolated chalet at the very end of a lane reassuringly puffed smoke from its chimney.

Preposition: on

  • cigar: In the summer, I would puff on cigars.
  • cigarette: The fella on the right wearing shorts is puffing on a cigarette, with most of the others still sat in the vehicle.

Converse of object

  • blow: Now and again there blew a puff of wind, but these sheets of falling water kept it down.

Adjective modifier

  • slight: Taking pictures proved to be very challenging due to their incessant movement at the slightest puff of wind!
  • quick: A quick puff of breath opens the chamber which is allowed to fall away from the blower to produce this pendant bulb shape.

Modifies a noun

  • pastry: The fresh cream puff pastry Sandwich was the " bees knees " .
  • adder: On my way to Raffi and Anthea I encountered the biggest puff adder ever and hissing away.
  • sleeve: The pretty puff sleeves also have matching embroidered panels.

Noun used with modifier

  • powder: The powder puff was only needed once, to minimize the lens flare from Steve Castle's head.
  • sugar: Or maybe it was the sight of a man sitting at a school table eating sugar puffs with water... I'll never know.
  • cream: The fresh cream puff pastry Sandwich was the " bees knees " .
  • cheese: Wild mushroom & goat's cheese puff pastry is a typical vegetarian option.

Preposition: of

  • smoke: With a puff of smoke, Des handed Ralph an ax.
  • breath: He noted how air currents curled, how ghostly snakes could be spun with the movement of a finger, a puff of breath.
  • wind: She looks like a puff of wind could carry her away.
  • steam: My horse was tired; puffs of steam clouded his breath.
  • dust: One such case involved a retired teacher in Huddersfield who was exposed to puffs of dust billowing out of classroom walls for 24 years.
puff Quotes

There was a poor poet named Clough, Whom his friends all united to puff, But the public, though dull, Had not such a skull As belonged to believers in Clough.

—Swinburne, Algernon Charles

The pipe with solemn interposing puff, Makes half a sentence at a time enough; The dozing sages drop the drowsy strain, Then pause, and pufföand speak, and pause again.

—Cowper,William

Puffing is of various sorts; the principal are, the puff direct, the puff preliminary, the puff collateral, the puff collusive, and the puff oblique, or puff by implication.

—Sheridan, Richard Brinsley

Browse dictionary entries near puff

  1. ‹ Puerto Rico
  2. ‹ puerperium
  3. ‹ puerperal fever
  4. ‹ puerperal
  5. ‹ puerility
  6. ‹ puerilism
  7. ‹ puerile
  8. ‹ pueblo
  9. ‹ Puebla
  10. ‹ pudgy
  1. puff adder ›
  2. puff pastry ›
  3. puffball ›
  4. puffed ›
  5. puffer ›
  6. Puffer, Stefan Case ›
  7. puffery ›
  8. puffin ›
  9. puffing ›
  10. puffy ›