puff en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /pɐf/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
- (Australia) audio
- /pʊf/ (Northern-England)
- /pʌf/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English puff, puf, from Old English pyf (“a blast of wind, puff”), from Proto-West Germanic *puf(f)- (“to blow, puff”), of imitative origin. Cognate with Dutch puf (“puff, wind, fart”), Middle Low German puf, pof (“puff”).
Meanings
- (countable) A sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth.
-
(slang, uncountable) The ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself.
out of puff
-
(countable) A small quantity of gas or smoke in the air.
puff of smoke
-
(countable) A sudden but small gust of wind, smoke, etc.
to every puff of wind a slave
1674, Thomas Flatman, Poems and Songs:"The wind we had was only an early puff! You'll see we shall have our full allowance!"
1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 184:
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(countable, informal) An act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe.
When I went to bed that night I found that I could not get to sleep. At five o'clock I got up and took a hot bath. I climbed back into bed and lighted one of the Chinese-made "Great Wall" cigars my hosts had thoughtfully provided, and sat puffing on the cigar and making notes about the events of the momentous week.
1978, Richard Nixon, “The Presidency 1969–1972”, in RN: the Memoirs of Richard Nixon, Grosset & Dunlap, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 572:
- (slang, uncountable) The drug cannabis.
-
(countable) A flamboyant or alluring statement of praise.
[…] though I care not one straw for the personal puffs of which I myself am so often the subject […]
1902, Robert Marshall Grade, The Haunted Major:[…] we critics were not his fellow-guests, but simply deadheads whose business it was to "dress the house" and write puffs.
1931, Bernard Shaw, Our Theatre in the Nineties, volume 24, page 246:
-
(countable, uncountable) A portion of fabric gathered up so as to be left full in the middle.
a sleeve with a puff at the shoulder
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(countable) A light cake filled with cream, cream cheese, etc.
cream puff
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(countable, uncountable) A puffball.
Bozzacchio, an acorne. Also a puffe or mushrump full of dust.
1598, John Florio, A Worlde of Wordes, or Most Copious, and Exact Dictionarie in Italian and English, London: Edward Blount, page 47:
- (countable, uncountable) A powder puff.
- (countable, dated, slang, uncountable) A puffer, one who is employed by the owner or seller of goods sold at auction to bid up the price.
-
(countable, dated, slang, uncountable) A scam of that kind.
Is nothing to be said in praise of the "Emporiums" and "Repositories" and "Divans," which formerly were mere insignificant tailors', toymen's, and tobacconists' shops? Is the transition from the barber's pole to the revolving bust of the perruquier, nothing? — the leap from the bare counter-traversed shop to the carpeted and mirrored saloon of trade, nothing? Are they not, one and all, practical puffs, intended to invest commerce with elegance, and to throw a halo round extravagance?
1842, “A Paper on Puffing”, in Ainsworth's Magazine:He was the eighteenth century king of spin, or, in the language of the day, the "prince of puff".
2008, David Paton-Williamspage, Katterfelto, page xii:Here the duke is made the vehicle of the tailor's advertisement, and the prelusive compliments, ostensibly meant for his grace, merge into a covert recommendation of the coat. Several specimens might be given of this species of puff, which is to be met with in almost every paper, and is a favourite form with booksellers, professional men, &c.
1848, Mrs. White, “Puffs and Puffing”, in Sharpe's London Magazine:
- (countable, uncountable) A region of a chromosome exhibiting a local increase in diameter.
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(UK, countable, dated, slang, uncountable) Life.
Did you ever in your puff see such a perfect perisher?
1938, P. G. Wodehouse, The Code of the Woosters:Isn't this the chance of a lifetime? Have either of you ever made a couple of quids at once in your puff before—pinching goods from the back of delivery vans and smooching lead off empty houses?
1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London:
- (Northern-England, countable, derogatory, slang, uncountable) Synonym of poof: a gay man; especially one who is effeminate.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| puffs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
windpuff · sip and puff · pizza puff · puff paste · puffhead · powder puff · puffin · cream puff · finger puff · nun's puff · pufflet · puffleg · piffle · puff-fish · curry puff · puff pipe · puffing · in a puff of smoke · puffcorn · huff and puff · airpuff · puff-box · air puff test · puffy · puff-legged · puff pastry · puff, puff, pass · crab puff · puffer · cheesy puff · puff and darts · puff-puff · super-puff · puff adder · Jigglypuff · puffbird · puffback · puff piece · puffless · Hufflepuff · puffery · love in a puff · fluff · cheese puff · puff-leg
Synonyms
ganja · sweetleaf · poof · hashish · sensimilla · mezz · herb · endo · broccoli · marihoochie · Texas tea · doja · hemp · doobage · trees · mull · Mary Jane · shit · tea · reefer · cheeba · drag · hash · buddha · zaza · djamba · gage · pot · greenery · ganj · devil's lettuce · choof · marijuana · weed · sens · Mary Joanna · MJ · cream puff · twig · puff · sensimillia · cannabis · yarndie · boo · wacky tobaccy · benj · bud · dope · wind · muggle · green · grass · method · bhang · zombie · dank · pastry · daccha
Translations (105)
fr latte (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · ja シュー (type of cake) · hi कश (ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself) · grc φυστή (type of cake) · fa پک (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · ckb پف (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · el φυσηξιά (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · it bombolone (type of cake) · ru дыхалка (ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself) · fr bouffée (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) · it pasta sfoglia (type of cake) · hi कश (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · hi फूंक (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · fi vire (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) · fi tuprahdus (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) · fr taffe (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · fi henki (ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself) · de Windbeutel (type of cake) · ru анаша (slang: cannabis) · pt erva (slang: cannabis) · fr souffle (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · es resuello (ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself) · ja 一服 (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · it bignè (type of cake) · es bocanada (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) · bg кълбо дим (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) · tl hithit (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · fi pilvi (slang: cannabis) · id kepulan (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) · de Puste (ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself) · ru затя́жка (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · de Windstoß (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · de Gras (slang: cannabis) · it soffio (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) · hi फूंक (ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself) · nl pof (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · it boccata (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · ro puf (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · it boccata (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) · hi दम (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · it spinello (slang: cannabis) · de Sprühstoß (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) · cs potáhnutí (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · it tirata (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · su peledug (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) · nl wiet (slang: cannabis) · nb drag (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · es fumada (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · de Hauch (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · bg дърпане (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · fi hasa (slang: cannabis) · es vaharada (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · oc buf (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · sv puff (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) · pt maconha (slang: cannabis) · ru профитроль (type of cake) · fi puhallus (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · bg пухтене (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · it spiffero (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) · el φύσημα (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · es bocanada (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · el ρουφηξιά (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · gl herba (slang: cannabis) · it refolo (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) · it respiro (ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself) · fi haiku (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) · cs šluk (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · sv flås (ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself) · fi savut (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · de Hub (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) · fa فوت (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · el τζούρα (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · it sbuffo (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · el μπάφος (slang: cannabis) · it sbuffo (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) · ur کش (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · pt fôlego (ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself) · mi pūrekereke (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) · es chupada (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · pt profiterole (type of cake) · pt pitada (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · nl shoetoe (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · sv puff (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · de Atem (ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself) · bg еклер (type of cake) · de Atemstoß (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · fi puhahdus (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · fa پف (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · yue 泡芙 (type of cake) · pt sopro (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · hi फूँक (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · ru травка (slang: cannabis) · cs obláček (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) · ja パフ (type of cake) · eo pufo (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · fr souffle (ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself) · pt baforada (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) · fr bouffée (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · sv bloss (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe) · it fiato (ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself) · fi pusu (type of cake) · sv pust (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) · hi दम (ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself) · cmn 泡芙 (type of cake) · de Zug (informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe)