fuzz

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
: fine light particles or fibers (as of down or fluff)
2
: a blurred effect

fuzz

2 of 3

verb

fuzzed; fuzzing; fuzzes

intransitive verb

1
: to fly off in or become covered with fluffy particles
2
: to become blurred
her frame of reference fuzzing at the edgesJane O'Reilly

transitive verb

1
: to make fuzzy
2
: to envelop in a haze

fuzz

3 of 3

noun (2)

: police
also : a police officer

Examples of fuzz in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The new wave synths and overall more plastic atmosphere may have been replaced by Cobain’s trademark fuzz, but the main skeleton was preserved in its entirety. Ana Leorne, Spin, 21 Sep. 2023 Encoded in that microwave fuzz are vestiges of events that occurred when the cosmos was less than one-trillionth of a second old and brimming with energies far beyond the capacity of modern particle colliders. Dennis Overbye Hiroko Masuike, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2023 Air plants from arid regions, those that are more silver in color than green, and appear to be covered in fuzz, don’t need a weekly soaking. Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 1 Sep. 2023 The moth is covered in lengthy fuzz—not venomous spines—with colors ranging from a dull orange to a bright, lemon yellow, but its fuzzy feet are always black. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 18 Aug. 2023 The brand claims the softener protects clothes from stretching, fading and fuzz, ultimately adding to the longevity of your favorite items. Good Housekeeping, 17 Aug. 2023 Keep a lint roller handy to quickly remove cat or dog fuzz from upholstery. Jennifer Barger, Washington Post, 17 Aug. 2023 The fungus looks like white fuzz on bats’ muzzles and wings. Sabrina Eaton, cleveland, 27 July 2023 Prepare peaches: Gently rub peaches under running water to remove fuzz, and chop peaches. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 30 July 2023
Verb
In his inaugural address, Biden must not fuzz the line between fiction and nonfiction. Robert Moilanen, Star Tribune, 27 Dec. 2020 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fuzz.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

probably back-formation from fuzzy

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1674, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1702, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1924, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fuzz was in 1674

Dictionary Entries Near fuzz

Cite this Entry

“Fuzz.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fuzz. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

fuzz

noun
ˈfəz
: fine light particles or fibers (as of down or fluff)

More from Merriam-Webster on fuzz

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