stuff

¹stuff

noun \ˈstəf\

Definition of STUFF

1

: materials, supplies, or equipment used in various activities: as

a obsolete : military baggage

b : personal property

2

: material to be manufactured, wrought, or used in construction <clear half-inch pine stuff — Emily Holt>

3

: a finished textile suitable for clothing; especially : wool or worsted material

4

a : literary or artistic production

b : writing, discourse, talk, or ideas of little value : trash

5

a : an unspecified material substance or aggregate of matter <volcanic rock is curious stuff>

b : something (as a drug or food) consumed or introduced into the body by humans

c : a matter to be considered <the truth was heady stuff> <long-term policy stuff>

d : a group or scattering of miscellaneous objects or articles <pick that stuff up off the floor>; also : nonphysical unspecified material <conservation and…all kinds of good stuff — Eric Korn>

6

a : fundamental material : substance <the stuff of greatness>

b : subject matter <a teacher who knows her stuff>

7

: special knowledge or capability <showing their stuff>

8

a : spin imparted to a thrown or hit ball to make it curve or change course

b : the movement of a baseball pitch out of its apparent line of flight : the liveliness of a pitch <greatest pitcher of my time…had tremendous stuff — Ted Williams>

9

: dunk shot

— stuff·less adjective

Examples of STUFF

1. She got out the cooking stuff to bake some cookies.
2. computers, word processors, and stuff like that
3. I need a place to store my stuff.
4. Pick that stuff up off the floor.

Origin of STUFF

Middle English, from Anglo-French estuffes goods, from estuffer to fill in (with rubble), furnish, equip, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German stopfōn to stop up, from Vulgar Latin *stuppare — more at stop

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to STUFF

Synonyms

capability, credentials, goods, qualification

Related Words

command, expertise, know-how, mastership, mastery, proficiency; ability, capacity, competence, competency, facility, faculty; aptitude, endowment, flair, genius, gift, knack, talent; forte, long suit, métier (also metier), specialism, speciality, specialty, strong suit; fitness, suitability, suitableness; makings, potentiality

Near Antonyms

immovables, real estate

Rhymes with STUFF

bluff, buff, chough, chuff, cuff, duff, fluff, gruff, guff, huff, luff, muff, puff, rough, ruff, scruff, scuff, slough, snuff, sough, tough, tuff

²stuff

transitive verb

Definition of STUFF

1

a : to fill by packing things in : cram <the boy stuffed his pockets with candy>

b : to fill to satiety : surfeit <stuffed themselves with turkey>

c : to prepare (meat or vegetables) by filling or lining with a stuffing

d : to fill (as a cushion) with a soft material

e : to fill out the skin of (an animal) for mounting

2

a : to fill by intellectual effort <stuffing their heads with facts>

b : to pack full of something immaterial <a book stuffed with information>

3

: to fill or block up (as nasal passages)

4

a : to cause to enter or fill : thrust <stuffed a lot of clothing into a laundry bag>

b : to put (as a ball or puck) into a goal forcefully from close range

5

—used in the imperative to express contempt <if they didn't like it, stuff 'em — Eric Clapton> ; often used in the phrases stuff it and get stuffed

6

: to stop (a ballcarrier) abruptly in a football game <stuffed the runner just short of a first down>

Examples of STUFF

1. The boy stuffed his pockets with candy.
2. She stuffed the laundry bag full.

First Known Use of STUFF

15th century

Related to STUFF

Synonyms

block, bung, dam, pack, plug, stop, fill

Antonyms

clear, free, open (up), unblock, unclog, unplug, unstop

Related Words

choke, clog, close (off), clot, congest, jam, obstruct, occlude; caulk, chink, seal; repack, restuff

Near Antonyms

excavate, hollow (out), scoop (out), shovel

stuff

transitive verb \ˈstəf\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of STUFF

: to choke or block up (as nasal passages) <a stuffed up nose>