puff
a short, quick blast, as of wind or breath.
an abrupt emission of air, smoke, vapor, etc.
an act of inhaling and exhaling, as on a cigarette or pipe; whiff.
the sound of an abrupt emission of air, vapor, etc.
a small quantity of vapor, smoke, etc., emitted at one blast.
an inflated or distended part of a thing; swelling; protuberance.
a form of light pastry with a filling of cream, jam, or the like.
a portion of material gathered and held down at the edges but left full in the middle, as on a sleeve.
a cylindrical roll of hair.
a quilted bed covering, usually filled with down.
a commendation, especially an exaggerated one, of a book, an actor's performance, etc.
a ball or pad of soft material.
Chiefly British Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a gay man.
to blow with short, quick blasts, as the wind.
to be emitted in a puff.
to emit a puff or puffs; breathe quick and hard, as after violent exertion.
to go with puffing or panting.
to emit puffs or whiffs of vapor or smoke.
to move with such puffs: The locomotive puffed into the station.
to take puffs at a cigar, cigarette, etc.
to become inflated, distended, or swollen (usually followed by up).
(especially of an auctioneer's accomplice) to bid on an item at an auction solely to increase the price that the final bidder must pay.
to send forth (air, vapor, etc.) in short, quick blasts.
to drive or impel by puffing, or with a short, quick blast.
to extinguish by means of a puff (usually followed by out): to puff a match out.
to smoke (a cigar, cigarette, etc.).
to inflate, distend, or swell, especially with air.
to make fluffy; fluff (often followed by up): to puff up a pillow.
to inflate with pride, vanity, etc. (often followed by up): Their applause puffed him up.
to praise unduly or with exaggeration.
to apply powder to (the cheeks, neck, etc.) with a powder puff.
to apply (powder) with a powder puff.
to arrange in puffs, as the hair.
Origin of puff
1Other words for puff
Other words from puff
- puff·ing·ly, adverb
- un·puffed, adjective
- un·puff·ing, adjective
Words Nearby puff
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use puff in a sentence
For me, that means no super-rich dips, no fussily layered toasts, and definitely nothing involving puff pastry or muffin tins or toothpicks.
Dust your work surface with flour to prevent sticking, and roll your puff pastry into a rectangle about eight inches long.
Ease into Winter with Backcountry-Approved Comfort Food | Christina Bernstein | November 12, 2020 | Outside OnlineYet, “I Have Something to Tell You” isn’t your typical, political puff piece.
‘I Have Something to Tell You’ not typical, political puff piece | Kathi Wolfe | September 24, 2020 | Washington BladeBy the 1960s, researchers discovered that flooding the subterranean reservoirs with steam or injecting it in cycles, through a process known as “huff and puff,” worked well.
Oil Companies Are Profiting From Illegal Spills. And California Lets Them. | by Janet Wilson, The Desert Sun, and Lylla Younes, ProPublica | September 18, 2020 | ProPublicaIt plays relaxing music at just the right volume, releases a puff of light lavender-scented essential oil, and maybe even says some meditative quotes to calm you down.
Cars Will Soon Be Able to Sense and React to Your Emotions | Vanessa Bates Ramirez | July 29, 2020 | Singularity Hub
It has French ingredients like leeks and tarragon, and I use puff pastry to make the crust easy!
And even ordinary exercisers may subject themselves to dirty looks if they puff near their gym.
E-Cigarettes: The Side Effects Nobody Talks About | DailyBurn | September 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTSo we salute you, Mr. Fielder, even as we continue to huff and puff at the gym in pursuit of those rippling ridges.
Prince Fielder’s Demi Moore Moment: World Loses It Over Athlete Without Six-Pack | Tim Teeman | July 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn his new video for “I Want the Love,” puff Daddy sits tight on what appears to be a pretty good replica of the iron throne.
Stars, They’re Obsessed with ‘Game of Thrones’ Just Like Us! | Amy Zimmerman | June 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTI walked behind the idling swing and gave it a gentle puff of a push.
It was a white silk, with an immense train, of course, and without overskirt—simply caught up in a great puff behind.
Music-Study in Germany | Amy FayIt curled and twisted in the embers as if it had been a living thing; a puff of smoke, a pungent odour, and it was gone.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsThe horse made a spring to one side, and the beautiful new pipe was broken before the old hero had taken a single puff.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.The flounces were so full and fluffy that he held his knees back nervously lest he should disturb a puff.
Ancestors | Gertrude AthertonWill not one puff of that narcotic breath drowse deep all watching dragons, and make for him the sleeping beauties of his will?
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.
British Dictionary definitions for puff
/ (pʌf) /
a short quick draught, gust, or emission, as of wind, smoke, air, etc, esp a forceful one
the amount of wind, smoke, etc, released in a puff
the sound made by or associated with a puff
an instance of inhaling and expelling the breath as in smoking
a swelling
a light aerated pastry usually filled with cream, jam, etc
a powder puff
exaggerated praise, as of a book, product, etc, esp through an advertisement
a piece of clothing fabric gathered up so as to bulge in the centre while being held together at the edges
a loose piece of hair wound into a cylindrical roll, usually over a pad, and pinned in place in a coiffure
a less common word for quilt (def. 1)
one's breath (esp in the phrase out of puff)
derogatory, slang a male homosexual
a dialect word for puffball
to blow or breathe or cause to blow or breathe in short quick draughts or blasts
(tr; often foll by out; usually passive) to cause to be out of breath
to take puffs or draws at (a cigarette, cigar, or pipe)
to move with or by the emission of puffs: the steam train puffed up the incline
(often foll by up, out, etc) to swell, as with air, pride, etc
(tr) to praise with exaggerated empty words, often in advertising
(tr) to apply (cosmetic powder) from a powder puff to (the face)
to increase the price of (a lot in an auction) artificially by having an accomplice make false bids
Origin of puff
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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