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puff
puff / pəf/ • n. 1. a short, explosive burst of breath or wind: a puff of wind swung the weathervane around. ∎ the sound of air or vapor escaping suddenly: the whistle and puff of steam. ∎ a small quantity of vapor or smoke, emitted in one blast: the fire breathed out a puff of blue smoke. ∎ an act of drawing quickly on a pipe, cigarette, or cigar: he took a puff of his cigar. 2. a light pastry case, typically one made of puff pastry, containing a sweet or savory filling: a cream puff. ∎ a gathered mass of material in a dress or other garment. ∎ a rolled protuberant mass of hair. ∎ a powder puff. ∎ a soft quilt: the plump pillows and puffs with which the snowy beds were piled. 3. inf. a review of a work of art, book, or theatrical production, esp. an excessively complimentary one: the publishers sent him a copy of the book hoping for a puff. • v. 1. [intr.] breathe in repeated short gasps: exercises that make you puff. ∎ (of a person, engine, etc.) move with short, noisy breaths or bursts of air or steam: the train came puffing in. ∎ smoke a pipe, cigarette, or cigar: he puffed on his pipe contentedly. ∎ [tr.] blow (dust, smoke, or a light object) in a specified direction with a quick breath or blast of air: he lighted his pipe and puffed forth smoke. ∎ move through the air in short bursts: his breath puffed out like white smoke. 2. (puff something out/up or puff out/up) cause to swell or become swollen: [tr.] he suddenly sucked his stomach in and puffed his chest out | [intr.] when he was in a temper, his cheeks puffed up and his eyes shrank. ∎ [tr.] (usu. be puffed up) fig. cause to become conceited: he was never puffed up about his writing. 3. [tr.] advertise with exaggerated or false praise: publishers have puffed the book on the grounds that it contains new discoveries. |
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Cite this article
"puff." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "puff." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-puff.html "puff." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-puff.html |
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puff
puff short emission of air or vapour XIII; swollen or inflated object (light pastry) XV; (exaggerated) commendation XVII.
So vb. expel breath with the lips XIII; inflate XVI. perh. repr. OE. *puf or pyf(f) sb., *puffan or pyffan vb., corr. to (M)Du. puffen, Du. pof, poffen, LG. pof, puf; imit. of the sound of the breath. |
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "puff." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "puff." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-puff.html T. F. HOAD. "puff." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-puff.html |
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Puff
Puffa small quantity emitted in a blast. Examples : puff of breath, 1667; of smoke, 1839; of vapour, 1869; of wind, 1400. |
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"Puff." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Puff." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505301178.html "Puff." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505301178.html |
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puff
puff To decompress data which has been compressed using HUFFMAN CODING. See also INFLATE and DEFLATE.
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Cite this article
DARREL INCE. "puff." A Dictionary of the Internet. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. DARREL INCE. "puff." A Dictionary of the Internet. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O12-puff.html DARREL INCE. "puff." A Dictionary of the Internet. 2001. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O12-puff.html |
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puff
puff (in genetics) See polyteny.
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Cite this article
"puff." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "puff." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-puff.html "puff." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-puff.html |
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puff
puff •bluff, buff, chough, chuff, cuff, duff, enough, fluff, gruff, guff, huff, luff, muff, puff, rough, ruff, scruff, scuff, slough, snuff, stuff, Tough, tuff
•handcuff • earmuff • powder puff
•dandruff • woodruff • feedstuff
•greenstuff • foodstuff
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Cite this article
"puff." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "puff." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-puff.html "puff." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-puff.html |
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