poofter

noun

poof·ter ˈpüf-tər

ˈpu̇f-

variants or less commonly pooftah

ˈpüf-tə

ˈpu̇f-

British, disparaging + offensive

: poof

Word History

Etymology

by alteration

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of poofter was in 1889

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

poof

poofter

poogye

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Poofter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poofter. Accessed 31 Jul. 2025.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

petulant

Listen to the pronunciation of petulant

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Popular in Wordplay

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Better Ways to Say 'This Sucks'

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

Popular

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)