cuff
1a fold or band serving as a trimming or finish for the bottom of a sleeve.
a turned-up fold, as at the bottom of a trouser leg.
the part of a gauntlet or long glove that extends over the wrist.
a separate or detachable band or piece of fabric worn about the wrist, inside or outside of the sleeve.
an elasticized, ribbed, or reinforced band at the top of a sock or stocking.
a band of leather or other material, wider than a collar, sewed around the outside of the top of a shoe or boot to serve as a trimming or finish.
a handcuff: I accessorized my costume with cuffs, a badge, and a toy gun.
Anatomy. rotator cuff.
Furniture. a horizontal strip of veneer used as an ornament on a leg.
Medicine/Medical. an inflatable wrap placed around the upper arm and used in conjunction with a device for recording blood pressure.
to make a cuff or cuffs on: to cuff a pair of trousers.
to put handcuffs on: The officer was quick to cuff the suspect and read him his rights.
Slang. to start an exclusive relationship with: You’ve gotta cuff her if you want to keep her.
Idioms about cuff
off the cuff, Informal.
extemporaneously; on the spur of the moment: She made those comments off the cuff, and they came back to haunt her later.
unofficially or informally: I'm telling you this strictly off the cuff.
on the cuff, Slang.
with the promise of future payment; on credit.
without charge; with no payment expected: He enjoyed his meal the more because it was on the cuff.
Origin of cuff
1Words that may be confused with cuff
Words Nearby cuff
Other definitions for cuff (2 of 2)
a blow with the fist or the open hand; buffet.
Origin of cuff
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use cuff in a sentence
Mittens with zippers will also be easier to put on and take off, and extra-long cuffs that fit under the jacket will help them stay in place.
The company also makes a skiing version with a waxed canvas cuff you can cinch.
My Favorite Winter Gloves for Various Activities | Jakob Schiller | February 3, 2021 | Outside OnlineFor skiing, the cuff of the glove should cover your entire wrist.
Best winter gloves: Our picks for touch screen gloves, ski gloves, and more | PopSci Commerce Team | February 2, 2021 | Popular-ScienceYou can make it long if you want your mittens to cover a part of your forearm, or you can make it short if you just want a simple cuff.
The cuff is adjustable to manage your exposure depending on the weather and it’s thin enough to fit underneath a helmet.
Best winter hats: Comfortable hats to keep you warm | Carsen Joenk | January 20, 2021 | Popular-Science
And, again, I now confess, I had an occasional Bourbon and stoogie on the cuff.
They create those blouses a lot of times, where they will add a bow or take fabric from another shirt to create the cuff.
How Carrie Preston Became The Good Wife’s Favorite Scene Stealer | Kevin Fallon | October 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWalters took the opportunity to lob some off-the-cuff softball questions.
Barbara Walters’s Final ‘The View’: A Tearful Farewell Befitting an Icon | Kevin Fallon | May 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOf course, Coakley spoke off the cuff and had no one else to blame.
If I could do that off the cuff I would be WAAY more fun at parties!
‘She’s All That' 15th Anniversary: Cast and Crew Reminisce About the Making of the ‘90s Classic | Marlow Stern | January 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut Bruno was unwilling to release his victim, and it took a hard cuff and a sharp command to make him let go.
The Courier of the Ozarks | Byron A. DunnThe cuff removed from his right wrist, Black Hood went to a chair beside the desk and calmly sat down.
The president, the vice-presidents, and the stewards were to have three buttons on a slash cuff, and to wear blue pantaloons.
Yachting Vol. 2 | Various.Undress: Short blue jacket with round collar, single-breasted—six buttons in front, and three on each cuff.
Yachting Vol. 2 | Various.With palpable reluctance Stanton drew a gray envelope out of the cuff of his wrapper.
Molly Make-Believe | Eleanor Hallowell Abbott
British Dictionary definitions for cuff (1 of 2)
/ (kʌf) /
the part of a sleeve nearest the hand, sometimes turned back and decorative
the part of a gauntlet or glove that extends past the wrist
US, Canadian and Australian the turned-up fold at the bottom of some trouser legs: Also called (in eg Britain): turn-up
off the cuff informal improvised; extemporary
Origin of cuff
1- See also cuffs
British Dictionary definitions for cuff (2 of 2)
/ (kʌf) /
(tr) to strike with an open hand
a blow of this kind
Origin of cuff
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with cuff
see off the cuff; on the cuff.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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