stuff en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /stɐf/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /stʌf/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- /stʊf/ (Northern-England)
- (Australia) audio
- (US) audio
Etymology
From Middle English stuf, stuffe, from Anglo-Latin stuffa and its etymon Old French estofe, estoffe, estuf, estuffe, stoffe, from estoffer, estofer (“to provide what is necessary, equip, stuff”), borrowed from Old High German stoffōn, from Proto-West Germanic *stoppōn (“to clog up, block, fill”). More at stop.
Meanings
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(informal, uncountable, usually) Miscellaneous items or objects; (with possessive) personal effects.
What is all that stuff on your bedroom floor? He didn't want his pockets to bulge so he was walking around with all his stuff in his hands.
The Bat—they called him the Bat.[…]. He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob, he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the fence couldn't swear he knew his face.
1920, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Avery Hopwood, chapter I, in The Bat: A Novel from the Play (Dell Book; 241), New York, N.Y.: Dell Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 01:
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(informal, obsolete, uncountable, usually) Miscellaneous items or objects; (with possessive) personal effects. ▸ Furniture; goods; domestic vessels or utensils.
He took away locks, and gave away the king's stuff.
1630, John Hayward, The Life and Raigne of King Edward VI:and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.
1611, Bible, 1 Samuel 25:13, KJV:
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(informal, uncountable, usually) Unspecified things or matters.
Andy Jackson puts it more bluntly: "Just because we are off the naughty step doesn't mean we can stop doing stuff. It's far from 'no more action'.
2026 July 8, Paul Clifton, “Brunel does the business”, in RAIL, number 1065, page 31:I had to do some stuff.
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(uncountable, usually) The tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object.
Pound an onion, warm a spoonful of ghee and throw in the onion, brown it slightly, add your curry stuff, brown this till it smells pleasantly, […]
1887, Indian Cookery "Local" for Young Housekeepers: Second Edition, page 67:Near-synonyms: constituents, ingredients; see also Thesaurus:substance
The workman on his stuff his skill doth show, / And yet the stuff gives not the man his skill.
1697, John Davies, A Poem on the Immortality of the Soul:
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(archaic, uncountable, usually) The tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object. ▸ A material for making clothing; any woven textile, but especially a woollen fabric.
She was going out to buy some lengths of good woollen stuff for Louise's winter dresses.
1992, Hilary Mantel, A Place of Greater Safety, Harper Perennial 2007, page 147:Without waiting for a reply, she unbound the veil from her head, and took off the loose black novice's robe, which she had put over a gray stuff dress similar to that worn by Lucy.
1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter VII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 51:"And you can buy a dress for your wife off this piece of stuff," said Lisetta, who had always an eye to business.
1857, The National Magazine, volumes 10-11, page 350:
- (archaic, uncountable, usually) The tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object. ▸ Boards used for building.
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(uncountable, usually) The tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object. ▸ Abstract/figurative substance or character.
When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept; / Ambition should be made of sterner stuff
1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], lines 91–94:We are such stuff / As dreams are made on
c. 1610, William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act 4, scene 1, 156–157::
- (dated, qualifier:paper-making, uncountable, usually) The tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object. ▸ Pulp; paper stock ground ready for use. When partly ground, it is called half stuff.
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(informal, uncountable, usually) Used as placeholder, usually for material of unknown type or name.
Can I have some of that stuff on my ice-cream sundae?
It had been his intention to go to Wimbledon, but as he himself said: “Why be blooming well frizzled when you can hear all the results over the wireless.[…]You stand by, Janet, and wake me up if they do any of that running commentary stuff.”
1935, George Goodchild, chapter 3, in Death on the Centre Court:The dawn of the oil age was fairly recent. Although the stuff was used to waterproof boats in the Middle East 6,000 years ago, extracting it in earnest began only in 1859 after an oil strike in Pennsylvania. The first barrels of crude fetched $18 (around $450 at today’s prices).
2013 August 3, “Yesterday’s fuel”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8847:
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(slang, uncountable, usually) Narcotic drugs, especially heroin.
For some idiotic reason the bureaucrats are more opposed to tea than to stuff.
1947, William Burroughs, letter, 11 March:For example, one addict would crack shorts (break and enter cars) and usually obtain just enough stolen goods to buy stuff and get off just before getting sick.
1975, Mary Sanches, Ben G. Blount, Sociocultural Dimensions of Language Use, page 47:
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(obsolete, uncountable, usually) A medicine or mixture; a potion.
I[…]did compound for her / A certaine ſtuffe, which being tane, would ceaſe / The preſent powre of life[…].
1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v], page 397, column 1:
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(euphemistic, sometimes, uncountable, usually) Refuse or worthless matter; hence, also, foolish or irrational language.
But the Butcher turned nervous, and dressed himself fine, / With yellow kid gloves and a ruff— / Said he felt it exactly like going to dine, / Which the Bellman declared was all "stuff."
1874–1876 (date written), Lewis Carroll [pseudonym; Charles Lutwidge Dodgson], “Fit the Fit the Fourth. The Hunting.”, in The Hunting of the Snark […], London: Macmillan and Co., published March 1876, →OCLC:Oh, stuff, Julia! I've given up chasing after will-o'-the-wisps like that.
1912, Upton Sinclair, The Machine:Don't give me any of that 'what-about' stuff!
Anger would indite / Such woeful stuff as I or Shadwell write.
1693, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, John Dryden, transl., “[The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis.] The First Satyr”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. […] Together with the Satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC:
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(uncountable, usually) A melted mass of turpentine, tallow, etc., with which the masts, sides, and bottom of a ship are smeared for lubrication.
On the last transverse planking, after: caulking and paying, he has laid on a coat of stuff, so hard when cold aš to resist a firm touch, and applied plain paper, then took heated band irons (such as women use) , and passed the iron from the centre of the sheet to the extremities, thus heating the stuff to make it adhere, pressing out the air, and laying it all flat and united with the course.
1822, William Annesley, A New System of Naval Architecture, page 31:While the ships were placed in ordinary “a thick coat of stuff” was applied to the hulls, and their awnings might be spread or sheds erected to provide some protection from sun and weather.
2012, Thomas Williams, American Honor: The Story of Admiral Charles Stewart, page 561:The master, at my earnest solicitation, examined his vessel, and though he prefers the coal tar, yet he told me, there were shells sticking on, and that a very thin coat of stuff, if any, remained.
1785, Pamphlets on British Shipping. 1785-1861, page 36:
- (dated, qualifier:criminal argot, slang, uncountable, usually) Money.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| stuffs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
stuff dreams are made of · dyestuff · woolstuff · sourstuff · same old stuff · tanstuff · sweet stuff · stuffing · ladystuff · stuffaroni · right stuff · and stuff · stuff and nonsense · stuffless · made of sterner stuff · starstuff · breadstuff · stuffie · feedstuff · shipstuff · feedingstuff · stuff sack · good stuff · fanstuff · sob stuff · foodstuff · drinkstuff · diaperstuff · don't sweat the small stuff · folding stuff · joy-to-stuff ratio · feeding stuff · sweet-stuff · blackstuff · greenstuff · waterstuff · kid stuff · she-stuff · veinstuff · plantstuff · sweetstuff
Descendants
Synonyms
pie in the sky · all my eye and Betty Martin · stuff · stuff · whatdoyoucallit · horse piss · jive · matter · piece of shit · hootenanny · garble · bilgewater · constituents · fuckery · hoax · jimbang · flizz · put-on · ingredients · bunk · mass · bull feathers · stuff · mass · thingamabob · santorum · thingamajigger · flim-flam · frammis · substance · thingumajig · wossname · pile of crap · crock of shit · Gallophone · double talk · matter · apple grease · dealy · jobby · rubbish · hogwash · codswallop · drivel · dohickey · wossisname · recreational drug · absurdity · refuse · gossip · matter · thingie · material · substance · yokibus · thingy (Placeholder name) · body · whatsitsname · affair · body · crap · BS · service item · dojigger · thingo · rigamajig · material · roughage · foolishness · Sorted alphabetically · ingredients · gimmick · folderol · manure · constituents · piece of crap · substance · thingummyjig · tosh · bullcrap · substance · piece of garbage · flapdoodle · jobber · banana oil · jimjam · substance · macaroni · debris · cobblers · hickey · jabber · body · bullshit · joint · substance · dreck · matter · whaddayacallit · stuff · thingum · prattle · corporeity · jawn · bull · thingabob · wotsit · ingredients · thingamajig · baloney · malarkey · stuff and nonsense · gadget · gewgaw · thingamabobber · dongle · balls · kludge · doojigger · meaninglessness · footle · thingumabob · tommy-rot · ting · constituents · claptrap · bazinga · Sorted by number of Google hits · lallation · jargon · stuff · dinglehopper · litter · matter · shite · bollocks · humbug · horsefeathers · stuff and nonsense · all my eye · doober · doohinkey · thingmabob · material · thingummabob · framis · gup · doodad · doofer · shit · mumbo jumbo · chingadera · mass · hocus-pocus · clamjamfrey · stuff · thingummy · pigswill · fudge · crap · rigmarole · ingredients · thingmy · whosiewhatsit · whatchamacallit · jibber-jabber · thingymabob · Greek · bafflegab · geegaw · garbage · gear · oojamaflip · piffle · blather · thingmajig · blah · balderdash · substance · constituents · drug · applesauce · batshit · trash · garbage · jigger · substance · dope · yoke · bizzo · whachacallit · ruse · bunkum · constituents · junk · junk · corporeity · mass · baragouin · whiff-whaff · rubbish · substance · hooey · garbage · Irish bull · body · cultch · body · piece of trash · foo · galimatias · horseshit · bushwah · material · corporeity · tripe · kajigger · thingamajiggy · gingumbob · rot · doo-hickey · ingredients · doohickus · blah-blah · word salad · double Dutch · horse · eyewash · flummery · Bandini · whachamacallit · doohinkus · widget · stuff · stuff · doublespeak · squit · foobar · substance · gash · whatnot · whosit · pelf · dribble · matter · corporeity · rubbish · tush · whatdyecallem · hodad · whatsit · gizmo · matter · waste · material · dope · doovalacky · whatchamahoozie · doohickey · horse puckey · fiddle-faddle · blah-blah-blah · bosh · jabberwocky · horse cock · corporeity · gibber · whatsaname · stuff · batcrap · frobnitz · nonsense · trash · matter · thingummajig · matter · nonsense · moonshine · substance · guff · doodad · thingamafuck · rhubarb · whatchacallit · drek · trittle trattle · gobbledygook · dealie · gingambob · dingus · rhubarb rhubarb · bobbins · bulldust · thingamabob · shit · twaddle · gibberish · thingy · doodah · skimble-skamble · matter · gismo · bullspeak · crock · horse hockey · junk · gash · whatsis · mass · fuckry · poppycock · pile of shit · hokum · whiff-whaff · nertz · gear · wass · gubbins · shebang · blatherskite · MacGuffin · thing · thingymajig
Translations (113)
es cosa (word substituted for material of unknown type or name, placeholder name — see also thingy) · da ting (word substituted for material of unknown type or name, placeholder name — see also thingy) · fi tavara (miscellaneous items; things) · el πράγμα (word substituted for material of unknown type or name, placeholder name — see also thingy) · es vaina (word substituted for material of unknown type or name, placeholder name — see also thingy) · ja 材料 (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · hu vacak (miscellaneous items; things) · nl goedje (miscellaneous items; things) · de Kram (substitution for trivial details) · no ting (substitution for trivial details) · de Stoff (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · af materie (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · el ουσία (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · he דבר (word substituted for material of unknown type or name, placeholder name — see also thingy) · ca dallò (word substituted for material of unknown type or name, placeholder name — see also thingy) · vi đồ (miscellaneous items; things) · yue 嘢 (miscellaneous items; things) · nl waar (miscellaneous items; things) · no stoff (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · la māteria (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · gl zurrumalla (miscellaneous items; things) · zza hımın (miscellaneous items; things) · cmn 東西 /东西 (miscellaneous items; things) · hu anyag (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · he חומר \ חֹמֶר (miscellaneous items; things) · hu valami (substitution for trivial details) · da tingest (substitution for trivial details) · tr şey (miscellaneous items; things) · grc ὕλη (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · ru добро́ (miscellaneous items; things) · tr hammadde (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · gl matarutaxe (miscellaneous items; things) · gd stuth (miscellaneous items; things) · fr truc (miscellaneous items; things) · gl murriada (miscellaneous items; things) · no saker (substitution for trivial details) · gsw Züüg (miscellaneous items; things) · nl spul (miscellaneous items; things) · da stof (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · it stoffa (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · ga mianach (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · de Kram (miscellaneous items; things) · he חומר \ חֹמֶר (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · af goed (miscellaneous items; things) · ca daixò (word substituted for material of unknown type or name, placeholder name — see also thingy) · it roba (miscellaneous items; things) · hu cucc (miscellaneous items; things) · ro chestii (miscellaneous items; things) · bg нещо (word substituted for material of unknown type or name, placeholder name — see also thingy) · es cosas (substitution for trivial details) · zza çêk (word substituted for material of unknown type or name, placeholder name — see also thingy) · tr şeyler (miscellaneous items; things) · ta இது (word substituted for material of unknown type or name, placeholder name — see also thingy) · bg вещество (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · no ting (miscellaneous items; things) · sv stoppning (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · sv saker (miscellaneous items; things) · ta பொருள் (miscellaneous items; things) · el πράγματα (miscellaneous items; things) · it tessuto (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · ru шту́ка (word substituted for material of unknown type or name, placeholder name — see also thingy) · es coso (word substituted for material of unknown type or name, placeholder name — see also thingy) · pl bambetle (miscellaneous items; things) · gl cousas (miscellaneous items; things) · af goed (word substituted for material of unknown type or name, placeholder name — see also thingy) · da ting (miscellaneous items; things) · ru ве́щи (miscellaneous items; things) · ko 잡것 (miscellaneous items; things) · hu dolog (miscellaneous items; things) · de Zeug (miscellaneous items; things) · bg материя (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · gl trapallada (miscellaneous items; things) · no materiale (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · gl zapicada (miscellaneous items; things) · hu szar (miscellaneous items; things) · fa چیز میز (word substituted for material of unknown type or name, placeholder name — see also thingy) · cmn 東西 /东西 (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · bn সামান (miscellaneous items; things) · hu izé (word substituted for material of unknown type or name, placeholder name — see also thingy) · es cosas (miscellaneous items; things) · ru штуки (miscellaneous items; things) · pt negócio (miscellaneous items; things) · pl rzeczy (miscellaneous items; things) · ja 素材 (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · it cose (miscellaneous items; things) · ga stuif (miscellaneous items; things) · ms barang (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · da materiale (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · sv stoff (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · ro lucruri (miscellaneous items; things) · es bártulos (miscellaneous items; things) · es lo de (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · da sager (miscellaneous items; things) · he חומר \ חֹמֶר (substitution for trivial details) · nl stof (miscellaneous items; things) · hu hogyishívják (word substituted for material of unknown type or name, placeholder name — see also thingy) · pt coisas (miscellaneous items; things) · es trastos (miscellaneous items; things) · af goeters (miscellaneous items; things) · de Ding (miscellaneous items; things) · ja もの (word substituted for material of unknown type or name, placeholder name — see also thingy) · de Sachen (miscellaneous items; things) · af stof (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · hu micsoda (word substituted for material of unknown type or name, placeholder name — see also thingy) · pt material (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · cmn 材料 (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · hu dolog (substitution for trivial details) · fr truc (substitution for trivial details) · no saker (miscellaneous items; things) · ja 原料 (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · bg ве́щи (miscellaneous items; things) · sv material (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) · ru вещество́ (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
wikidata: Q35758 · wikidata: Q35758 · wikidata: Q35758 · wikidata: Q35758 · wikidata: Q35758