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Webster 1913 Edition

Puff

Puff

,
Noun.
[Akin to G. & Sw.
puff
a blow, Dan.
puf
, D.
pof
; of imitative origin. Cf.
Buffet
.]
1.
A sudden and single emission of breath from the mouth; hence, any sudden or short blast of wind; a slight gust; a whiff.
“ To every puff of wind a slave.”
Flatman.
2.
Anything light and filled with air. Specifically:
(a)
A puffball.
(b)
kind of light pastry.
(c)
A utensil of the toilet for dusting the skin or hair with powder.
3.
An exaggerated or empty expression of praise, especially one in a public journal.
Puff adder
.
(Zool.)
(a)
Any South African viper belonging to
Clotho
and allied genera. They are exceedingly venomous, and have the power of greatly distending their bodies when irritated. The common puff adder (
Vipera arietans
, or
Clotho arietans
) is the largest species, becoming over four feet long. The plumed puff adder (
Clotho cornuta
) has a plumelike appendage over each eye.
(b)
A North American harmless snake (
Heterodon platyrrhinos
) which has the power of puffing up its body. Called also
hog-nose snake
,
flathead
,
spreading adder
, and
blowing adder
.
–
Puff bird
(Zool.)
,
any bird of the genus
Bucco
, or family
Bucconidæ
. They are small birds, usually with dull-colored and loose plumage, and have twelve tail feathers. See
Barbet
(b)
.

Puff

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Puffed
(pŭft)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Puffing
.]
[Akin to G.
puffen
to pop, buffet, puff, D.
poffen
to pop,
puffen
to blow, Sw.
puffa
to push, to cuff, Dan.
puffe
to pop, thump. See
Puff
,
Noun.
]
1.
To blow in puffs, or with short and sudden whiffs.
2.
To blow, as an expression of scorn; – with at.
It is really to defy Heaven to
puff
at damnation.
South.
3.
To breathe quick and hard, or with puffs, as after violent exertion.
The ass comes back again,
puffing
and blowing, from the chase.
L’ Estrange.
4.
To swell with air; to be dilated or inflated.
Boyle.
5.
To breathe in a swelling, inflated, or pompous manner; hence, to assume importance.
Then came brave Glory
puffing
by.
Herbert.

Puff

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To drive with a puff, or with puffs.
The clearing north will
puff
the clouds away.
Dryden.
2.
To repel with words; to blow at contemptuously.
I
puff
the prostitute away.
Dryden.
3.
To cause to swell or dilate; to inflate; to ruffle with puffs; – often with
up
;
as, a bladder
puffed
with air
.
The sea
puffed
up with winds.
Shakespeare
4.
To inflate with pride, flattery, self-esteem, or the like; – often with
up
.
Puffed
up with military success.
Jowett (Thucyd. )
5.
To praise with exaggeration; to flatter; to call public attention to by praises; to praise unduly.
“ Puffed with wonderful skill.”
Macaulay.

Puff

,
Adj.
Puffed up; vain.
[R.]
Fanshawe.

Webster 1828 Edition

Puff

PUFF

, n.
1.
A sudden and single emission of breath from the mouth; a quick forcible blast; a whiff.
2.
A sudden and short blast of wind.
3.
A fungous ball filled with dust.
4.
Any thing light and porous, or something swelled and light; as puff-paste.
5.
A substance of loose texture, used to sprinkle powder on the hair.
6.
A tumid or exaggerated statement or commendation.

PUFF

, v.i.
1.
To drive air from the mouth in a single and quick blast.
2.
To swell the cheeks with air.
3.
To blow as an expression of scorn or contempt.
It is really to defy heaven, to puff at damnation.
4.
To breathe with vehemence, as after violent exertion.
The ass comes back again, puffing and blowing from the chase.
5.
To do or move with hurry, agitation and a tumid, bustling appearance.
Then came brave glory puffing by.
6.
To swell with air; to dilate or inflate.

PUFF

,
Verb.
T.
To drive with a blast of wind or air; as, the north wind puffs away the clouds.
1.
To swell; to inflate; to dilate with air; as a bladder puffed with air.
The sea puffed up with winds.
2.
To swell; to inflate; to blow up; as puffed up with pride, vanity or conceit; to puff up with praise or flattery.
3.
To drive with a blast in scorn or contempt.
I puff the prostitute away.
4.
To praise with exaggeration; as to puff a pamphlet.

Definition 2024

Puff

Puff

See also: puff

German

Noun

Puff m ‎(genitive Puffs or Puffes, plural Puffs)

  1. (colloquial) brothel, bordello

Synonyms

puff

puff

See also: Puff

English

Noun

puff ‎(countable and uncountable, plural puffs)

  1. (countable) A sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth.
  2. (uncountable) The ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself.
    out of puff
  3. (countable) A small quantity of gas or smoke in the air.
    puff of smoke
    • Flatman
      to every puff of wind a slave
  4. (informal, countable) An act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe.
  5. (countable) A flamboyant or alluring statement about an object's quality.
  6. (dated, slang) A puffer, one who is employed by the owner or seller of goods sold at auction to bid up the price; an act or scam of that type.
    • 1842, "A Paper on Puffing", in Ainsworth's Magazine
      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?
    • 1848, Mrs. White, "Puffs and Puffing", in Sharpe's London Magazine
      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.
    • 2008, David Paton-Williamspage, Katterfelto, page xii
      He was the eighteenth century king of spin, or, in the language of the day, the "prince of puff".
  7. A puffball.
  8. A powder puff.
  9. (uncountable, slang) The drug cannabis.
  10. (countable) A light cake filled with cream, cream cheese, etc.
    cream puff
  11. (derogatory, slang, Britain, particularly northern UK) a homosexual; a poof
  12. (slang, dated, Britain) life
    • 1938, P. G. Wodehouse (Bertie Wooster speaking of Spode) in The Code of the Woosters
      Did you ever in your puff see such a perfect perisher?

Synonyms

  • (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth):
  • (ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself): wind
  • (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air):
  • (act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe): drag
  • (cannabis): blow, dope, ganja, pot, weed; see also Wiktionary appendix of cannabis slang
  • (type of cake): pastry
  • (poof): See poof

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

puff ‎(third-person singular simple present puffs, present participle puffing, simple past and past participle puffed)

  1. (intransitive) To emit smoke, gas, etc., in puffs.
  2. (intransitive) To pant.
    • L'Estrange
      The ass comes back again, puffing and blowing, from the chase.
    • 1918, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Land That Time Forgot Chapter VI
      Puffing and panting, we plodded on until within about a mile of the harbor we came upon a sight that brought us all up standing.
  3. (transitive, archaic) To advertise.
  4. To blow as an expression of scorn.
    • South
      It is really to defy Heaven to puff at damnation.
  5. To swell with air; to be dilated or inflated.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Boyle to this entry?)
  6. To breathe in a swelling, inflated, or pompous manner; hence, to assume importance.
    • Herbert
      Then came brave Glory puffing by.
  7. To drive with a puff, or with puffs.
    • Dryden
      The clearing north will puff the clouds away.
  8. To repel with words; to blow at contemptuously.
    • Dryden
      I puff the prostitute away.
  9. To cause to swell or dilate; to inflate.
    a bladder puffed with air
    • Shakespeare
      the sea puffed up with winds
  10. To inflate with pride, flattery, self-esteem, etc.; often with up.
    • Jowett
      puffed up with military success
  11. To praise with exaggeration; to flatter; to call public attention to by praises; to praise unduly.
    • Macaulay
      puffed with wonderful skill

Derived terms

Translations

Finnish

Interjection

puff

  1. poof (deflating object or a magical disappearance)

Hungarian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈpufː]
  • Hyphenation: puff

Etymology 1

From German puffen.[1]

Noun

puff ‎(plural puffok)

  1. pouf, puff, pouffe (a backless, rounded, cushioned low stool)
  2. (dressmaking) pouf (on the upper part of the sleeves)
  3. puff, powder puff (a pad of soft material used for the application of cosmetic powder to the face)
Declension
Inflection (stem in -o-, back harmony)
singular plural
nominative puff puffok
accusative puffot puffokat
dative puffnak puffoknak
instrumental puffal puffokkal
causal-final puffért puffokért
translative puffá puffokká
terminative puffig puffokig
essive-formal puffként puffokként
essive-modal — —
inessive puffban puffokban
superessive puffon puffokon
adessive puffnál puffoknál
illative puffba puffokba
sublative puffra puffokra
allative puffhoz puffokhoz
elative puffból puffokból
delative puffról puffokról
ablative pufftól puffoktól
Possessive forms of puff
possessor single possession multiple possessions
1st person sing. puffom puffjaim
2nd person sing. puffod puffjaid
3rd person sing. puffja puffjai
1st person plural puffunk puffjaink
2nd person plural puffotok puffjaitok
3rd person plural puffjuk puffjaik

Etymology 2

Back-formation from puffad, puffant, puffaszt.[2]

Interjection

puff

  1. bang! pouf! (onomatopoeia representing a sudden sharp noise or crashing sound)

References

  1. ↑ Tótfalusi István, Idegenszó-tár: Idegen szavak értelmező és etimológiai szótára. Tinta Könyvkiadó, Budapest, 2005, ISBN 963 7094 20 2
  2. ↑ Gábor Zaicz, Etimológiai szótár: Magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete, Tinta Könyvkiadó, 2006, ISBN 963 7094 01 6

Pronunciation

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