Adjacent Words

Puff definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

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, v.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.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: gathered for protruding fullness; "puff sleeves" [syn: puff, puffed] n
1: a short light gust of air [syn: puff, puff of air, whiff]
2: a light inflated pastry or puff shell
3: exaggerated praise (as for promotional purposes)
4: bedding made of two layers of cloth filled with stuffing and stitched together [syn: quilt, comforter, comfort, puff]
5: a soft spherical object made from fluffy fibers; for applying powder to the skin [syn: powderpuff, puff]
6: thick cushion used as a seat [syn: ottoman, pouf, pouffe, puff, hassock]
7: a slow inhalation (as of tobacco smoke); "he took a puff on his pipe"; "he took a drag on his cigarette and expelled the smoke slowly" [syn: puff, drag, pull]
8: forceful exhalation through the nose or mouth; "he gave his nose a loud blow"; "he blew out all the candles with a single puff" [syn: blow, puff] v
1: smoke and exhale strongly; "puff a cigar"; "whiff a pipe" [syn: puff, whiff]
2: suck in or take (air); "draw a deep breath"; "draw on a cigarette" [syn: puff, drag, draw]
3: breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted; "The runners reached the finish line, panting heavily" [syn: pant, puff, gasp, heave]
4: make proud or conceited; "The sudden fame puffed her ego"
5: praise extravagantly; "The critics puffed up this Broadway production" [syn: puff, puff up]
6: speak in a blustering or scornful manner; "A puffing kind of man"
7: to swell or cause to enlarge, "Her faced puffed up from the drugs"; "puffed out chests" [syn: puff, puff up, blow up, puff out]
8: blow hard and loudly; "he huffed and puffed as he made his way up the mountain" [syn: puff, huff, chuff]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: Middle English, from Old English pyffan, of imitative origin Date: before 12th century intransitive verb 1. a. (1) to blow in short gusts (2) to exhale forcibly b. to breathe hard ; pant c. to emit small whiffs or clouds (as of smoke) often as an accompaniment to vigorous action <puff at a pipe> 2. to speak or act in a scornful, conceited, or exaggerated manner 3. a. to become distended ; swell — usually used with up b. to open or appear in or as if in a puff 4. to form a chromosomal puff transitive verb 1. a. to emit, propel, blow, or expel by or as if by puffs ; waft b. to draw on (as a cigar, cigarette, or pipe) with intermittent exhalations of smoke 2. a. to distend with or as if with air or gas ; inflate b. to make proud or conceited ; elate c. (1) to praise extravagantly and usually with exaggeration <authors puffing their own work> (2) advertise II. noun Date: 13th century 1. a. an act or instance of puffing ; whiff b. a slight explosive sound accompanying a puff c. a perceptible cloud or aura emitted in a puff d. draw 1a 2. a light round hollow pastry 3. a. a slight swelling ; protuberance b. a fluffy mass: as (1) pouf 2 (2) a small fluffy pad for applying cosmetic powder (3) a soft loose roll of hair (4) a quilted bed covering 4. a commendatory or promotional notice or review 5. an enlarged region of a chromosome that is associated with intensely active genes involved in RNA synthesis • puffiness noun • puffy adjective III. adjective Date: 1943 of, relating to, or designed for promotion or flattery <a puff piece in the paper>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a a short quick blast of breath or wind. b the sound of this; a similar sound. c a small quantity of vapour, smoke, etc., emitted in one blast (went up in a puff of smoke). 2 a cake etc. containing jam, cream, etc., and made of light esp. puff pastry. 3 a gathered mass of material in a dress etc. (puff sleeve). 4 a rolled protuberant mass of hair. 5 a an extravagantly enthusiastic review of a book etc., esp. in a newspaper. b an advertisement for goods etc., esp. in a newspaper. 6 = powder-puff. 7 US an eiderdown. 8 colloq. one's life (in all my puff). --v. 1 intr. emit a puff of air or breath; blow with short blasts. 2 intr. (usu. foll. by away, out, etc.) (of a person smoking, a steam engine, etc.) emit or move with puffs (puffing away at his cigar; a train puffed out of the station). 3 tr. (usu. in passive; often foll. by out) put out of breath (arrived somewhat puffed; completely puffed him out). 4 intr. breathe hard; pant. 5 tr. utter pantingly ('No more,' he puffed). 6 intr. & tr. (usu. foll. by up, out) become or cause to become inflated; swell (his eye was inflamed and puffed up; puffed up the balloon). 7 tr. (usu. foll. by out, up, away) blow or emit (dust, smoke, a light object, etc.) with a puff. 8 tr. smoke (a pipe etc.) in puffs. 9 tr. (usu. as puffed up adj.) elate; make proud or boastful. 10 tr. advertise or promote (goods, a book, etc.) with exaggerated or false praise. Phrases and idioms: puff-adder a large venomous African viper, Bitis arietans, which inflates the upper part of its body and hisses when excited. puff and blow = sense 4 of v. puff-ball any of various fungi having a ball-shaped spore case. puff pastry light flaky pastry. puff-puff Brit. a childish word for a steam-engine or train. puff up = sense 9 of v. Etymology: ME puf, puffe, perh. f. OE, imit. of the sound of breath

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Puffball Puff"ball`, n. (Bot.) A kind of ball-shaped fungus (Lycoperdon giganteum, and other species of the same genus) full of dustlike spores when ripe; -- called also bullfist, bullfice, puckfist, puff, and puffin.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Puff Puff, a. Puffed up; vain. [R.] --Fanshawe.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Puff Puff (p[u^]f), n. [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) a 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. (Zo["o]l.) (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, or Clotho arietans) is the largest species, becoming over four feet long. The plumed puff adder (C. 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 (Zo["o]l.), any bird of the genus Bucco, or family Bucconid[ae]. They are small birds, usually with dull-colored and loose plumage, and have twelve tail feathers. See Barbet (b) .

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Puff Puff, v. 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. --Shak. 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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Puff Puff, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Puffed (p[u^]ft); 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, n.] 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.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(puffs, puffing, puffed) 1. If someone puffs at a cigarette, cigar, or pipe, they smoke it. He lit a cigar and puffed at it twice... VERB: V at/on n • Puff is also a noun. She was taking quick puffs at her cigarette like a beginner. = drag N-COUNT 2. If you puff smoke or moisture from your mouth or if it puffs from your mouth, you breathe it out. Richard lit another cigarette and puffed smoke towards the ceiling... The weather was dry and cold; wisps of steam puffed from their lips. VERB: V n, V prep • Puff out means the same as puff. He drew heavily on his cigarette and puffed out a cloud of smoke. PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron) 3. If an engine, chimney, or boiler puffs smoke or steam, clouds of smoke or steam come out of it. As I completed my 26th lap the Porsche puffed blue smoke. VERB: V n 4. A puff of something such as air or smoke is a small amount of it that is blown out from somewhere. Wind caught the sudden puff of dust and blew it inland. N-COUNT: usu N of n 5. If you are puffing, you are breathing loudly and quickly with your mouth open because you are out of breath after a lot of physical effort. I know nothing about boxing, but I could see he was unfit, because he was puffing. VERB: usu cont, V 6. see also puffed

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. Whiff, sudden gust; short, quick blast. II. v. n. 1. Blow in puffs. 2. Pant, breathe hard. III. v. a. 1. Blow. 2. Swell, inflate. 3. Praise (extravagantly), compliment, flatter.

Moby Thesaurus

Aqua-Lung, Danish pastry, French pastry, PR, acknowledgment, add to, adulate, advertise, advertisement, advocate, aggrandize, amplify, apotheosize, appreciation, artificial respiration, aspiration, asthmatic wheeze, augment, back, baklava, balloon, ballyhoo, bark, base, belaud, bepraise, bill, blast, bless, blintz, bloat, bloatedness, bloating, blow, blow a hurricane, blow great guns, blow over, blow up, blowing up, blubber, blurb, bluster, boast, boast of, boost, brag, brag about, break down, breakers, breath, breath of air, breathe, breathe hard, breathe in, breathe out, breathing, breeze, breeze up, brew, bright light, broaden, broken wind, build, build up, buildup, bulk, bulk out, bulletin, burlesque, burn out, butter, capful of wind, caricature, carry too far, celebrate, celebrity, chain-smoke, chaw, chew, chewing, chocolate eclair, circularize, clay, clown white, cock-a-doodle-doo, cold cream, collapse, collar, come up, comfortable, comforter, commend, commendation, common knowledge, compact, cosmetics, cough, crack up, cream puff, crescendo, crow, cry, cry up, currency, cushion, daylight, deify, develop, diastole, dilatation, dilate, dilation, distend, distension, dough, dowdy, down, drag, draught, draw, draw the longbow, droop, drop, dropsy, drugstore complexion, eclair, eclat, edema, eiderdown, emblazon, emit, enlarge, establish, eulogize, evacuate, exaggerate, exalt, exhalation, exhale, exhaust, expand, expel, expiration, expire, exposure, exsufflation, extend, extol, eye shadow, eyebrow pencil, faint, fame, famousness, fatigue, feather bed, feathers, flag, flatter, flatulence, flatulency, flatus, fleece, floss, flourish, flue, fluff, foam, foundation, foundation cream, freshen, froth, fume, gasconade, gasp, gassiness, gather, get tired, give a write-up, give off, give out, give publicity, give vent to, glare, glorify, go to extremes, good word, greasepaint, grow weary, gulp, gust, habitual smoking, hack, hand cream, hand lotion, head, heave, hero-worship, hiccup, hike, hike up, honorable mention, hoopla, hue and cry, huff, huff and puff, hype, hyperbolize, idolize, increase, inflate, inflation, inhalation, inhalator, inhale, inhale snuff, inspiration, inspire, insufflation, intumescence, iron lung, item, jade, kapok, lather, laud, laudation, lay it on, let out, limelight, lionize, lip rouge, lipstick, magnify, make much of, makeup, mascara, maximum dissemination, mention, meringue, meteorism, mousse, mouth, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, mudpack, nail polish, nicotine addiction, nicotinism, notice, notoriety, offscum, open the floodgates, open the sluices, overcharge, overdo, overdraw, overestimate, overpraise, overreach, overreact, oversell, overspeak, overstate, overstress, oxygen mask, oxygen tent, paint, pandowdy, panegyrize, pant, pastry, pasty, patisserie, patty, patty-shell, pay tribute, peter out, pie, pile it on, pillow, pipe up, placard, play out, plug, plush, poop out, porter aux nues, post, post bills, post up, powder, powder puff, praise, prate, press notice, press-agent, promote, promotion, public eye, public knowledge, public relations, public report, publicity, publicity story, publicize, publicness, pudding, puff and blow, puff of air, puff of wind, puff up, puffery, puffiness, puffing, pull, pump, pump up, push, putty, quiche, rage, raise, rarefy, reclame, recognition, recommend, reek, report, respiration, respire, review, rodomontade, rosette, rouge, rubber, run down, run out, salute, satin, scuba, scud, scum, sea foam, sell, set in, sigh, silk, sink, smoke, smoking, smoking habit, sneeze, sniff, sniffle, snore, snoring, snort, snuff, snuffle, soapsuds, souffle, speak for Buncombe, speak highly of, speak warmly of, speak well of, spiel, spindrift, spoondrift, spotlight, spray, spume, squall, steam, sternutation, stertor, stinging, stir of air, storm, stretch, stretch the truth, stretching, strudel, succumb, suck, suds, sufflate, support, surf, suspiration, swagger, swansdown, swell, swell out, swellage, swelling, swollenness, tabacism, tabacosis, tabagism, take snuff, talcum, talcum powder, talk big, talk in superlatives, tart, thistledown, throw off, timbale, tipsy cake, tire, tobaccoism, tout, travesty, trifle, trumpet, tumefaction, tumescence, tumidity, tumidness, turgescence, turgidity, turgidness, turnover, tympanism, tympany, up, vanishing cream, vanity case, vapor, vaunt, velvet, vol-au-vent, waft, war paint, wax, weary, wheeze, whiff, whiffet, whiffle, white water, widen, wilt, wind, windiness, wool, word, write up, write-up, zephyr