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

see all synonyms and antonyms

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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