Adjacent Words

duff definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a stiff flour pudding steamed or boiled usually and containing e.g. currants and raisins and citron [syn: duff, plum duff]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: English dialect, alteration of dough Date: 1816 1. a boiled or steamed pudding often containing dried fruit 2. the partly decayed organic matter on the forest floor 3. fine coal ; slack II. noun Etymology: origin unknown Date: circa 1888 buttocks <get off your duff> III. adjective Etymology: duff, noun, something worthless, from ¹duff Date: circa 1889 British inferior, worthless

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. a boiled pudding. Etymology: N.Engl. form of DOUGH 2. adj. Brit. sl. 1 worthless, counterfeit. 2 useless, broken. Etymology: perh. = DUFF(1) 3. v.tr. sl. 1 Brit. Golf mishit (a shot, a ball); bungle. 2 Austral. steal and alter brands on (cattle). Phrases and idioms: duff up sl. beat; thrash. Etymology: perh. back-form. f. DUFFER

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Duff Duff, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Duffed; p. pr. & vb. n. Duffing.] [Etym. uncertain.] [Colloq. or Slang] 1. To treat or manipulate so as to give a specious appearance to; to fake; hence, to cheat. 2. In Australia, to alter the brands on (cattle, horses, etc.); to steal (cattle, etc.), and alter their brands.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Duff Duff (d[u^]f), n. [From OE. dagh. [root]67. See Dough.] 1. Dough or paste. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell. 2. A stiff flour pudding, boiled in a bag; -- a term used especially by seamen; as, plum duff.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(duffs, duffing, duffed) If you describe something as duff, you mean it is useless, broken, or of poor quality. (BRIT INFORMAL) Sometimes you have to take a duff job when you need the money. ADJ [disapproval]

Moby Thesaurus

arse, bad, beat, behind, bilk, bottom, broken, butt, can, cheat, counterfeit, cozen, defraud, diddle, do, dud, fake, false, fanny, gyp, inoperable, inoperative, overreach, prat, rear, screw, tail, unworkable, useless, worthless