puff

play

verb \ ˈpəf \

Definition of puff

intransitive verb

1 a (1) :to blow in short gusts

(2) :to exhale forcibly

b :to breathe hard :pant

c :to emit small whiffs or clouds (as of smoke) often as an accompaniment to vigorous action

puff at a pipe

2 :to speak or act in a scornful, conceited, or exaggerated manner

3 a :to become distended :swell —usually used with up

b :to open or appear in or as if in a puff

4 :to form a chromosomal puff

transitive verb

1 a :to emit, propel, blow, or expel by or as if by puffs :waft

b :to draw on (a cigar, cigarette, pipe, etc.) with intermittent exhalations of smoke

2 a :to distend with or as if with air or gas :inflate

b :to make proud or conceited :elate

c (1) :to praise extravagantly and usually with exaggeration

authors puffing their own work

(2) :advertise

See puff defined for English-language learners

See puff defined for kids

Examples of puff in a Sentence

She sat on the porch puffing on a cigarette.
The chimney puffed white smoke into the sky.
We watched the train puff away on its journey west.
He was puffing and panting from running.
The bikers puffed up the hill.

Recent Examples of puff from the Web

That’s because the star is a red supergiant, a star reaching the end of its life that begins to puff up, sometimes 100 to 1,000 times larger than our own sun.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "This Is the Best Image of a Star Beyond Our Solar System (Yet)," 25 Aug. 2017
While the big kids will be walking among the vintage vehicles at the annual Beach Park Fest and Car Show, the little kids will be racing to get a ride on the trackless train that will puff around Founders Park Aug. 19.

— sheryl devore, Lake County News-Sun, "Vehicles for kids — large and small — at Beach Park Fest," 4 Aug. 2017
Bake at 400 degrees until puffed, golden and set, about 15 minutes.

— leah eskin, chicagotribune.com, "Corn pudding recipe transfers fresh, crisp kernels into rich, creamy goodness," 18 July 2017
Chest puffed out, eyes cast downward, a half smile across his face.

— megan gustashaw, GQ, "Roger Federer Has Always Been the Best-Dressed Man at Wimbledon," 17 July 2017
Cream Puff This flavor is based on the legendary cream puffs made by German restaurant Schmidt's, a Columbus landmark.

— olivia abel, Country Living, "Jeni's Is Back—And Its New Summer Ice Cream Flavors Sound Divine," 29 June 2017
This ultra-lightweight eye cream has a subtle cooling effect to help de-puff the eye area while leaving it feeling fresh and hydrated.

— vanity fair, Vanities, "Five of the Best Eye Creams for Everyday Wear," 21 June 2017
The giant dog and his tiny man have had many adventures together around scenic Minnesota – sledding down snowy hills, canoeing on glassy lakes, working farm fields together, even wearing smoking jackets and puffing on pipes.

— lisa gutierrez, kansascity.com, "Artist who made Juji the dog a ‘giant’ Instagram star is trampled by a momma cow," 20 June 2017
Buying, selling, bluffing, puffing, haggling over price -- that’s how the market works.

— matt scully, Bloomberg.com, "'That’s What I Did' Is Traders’ Worry as Bond Trials Play Out," 15 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'puff.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of puff

Middle English, from Old English pyffan, of imitative origin

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

puff Synonyms

Synonyms

blow, heave, hyperventilate, pant, gasp, wheeze

Related Words

choke, gag, gulp, huff; asphyxiate, smother, stifle, strangle; snore, snuffle; exhale, expire

Near Antonyms

bad-mouth, belittle, decry, depreciate, disparage, put down

puff

noun

Definition of puff

1 a :an act or instance of puffing :whiff

b :a slight explosive sound accompanying a puff

c :a perceptible cloud or aura emitted in a puff

d :draw 1a

2 :a light round hollow pastry

3 a :a slight swelling :protuberance

b :a fluffy mass: such as

(1) :pouf 2

(2) :a small fluffy pad for applying cosmetic powder

(3) :a soft loose roll of hair

(4) :a quilted bed covering

4 :a commendatory or promotional notice or review

5 :an enlarged region of a chromosome that is associated with intensely active genes involved in RNA synthesis

—

puffiness

play \ˈpə-fē-nəs\ noun

—

puffy

play \ˈpə-fē\ adjective

See puff defined for English-language learners

Examples of puff in a Sentence

He let me have a puff off his pipe.
She took two puffs on her inhaler before going for a run.
puffs filled with cream cheese and apricot jam

Recent Examples of puff from the Web

CTS developed an MH high-pressure testing instrument for Apple that puffs air at three times the pressure of a car tire as a way to test for leaks in devices.

— alexander coolidge, Cincinnati.com, "Apple CEO Tim Cook in Cincinnati: Local firm inspires 'the next thing'," 24 Aug. 2017
Rabbit pot pie comes in broth under a cap of puff pastry.

— linda bladholm, miamiherald, "A ‘bird room’ and roasted duck — this new Miami restaurant is as eclectic as its menu," 15 Aug. 2017
Areas included are wigs, bras, puffs and prostheses, mammograms and medical bills, food and help with utilities, rent or mortgage, and transportation costs.

— Washington Post, "Health calendar for Loudoun and Fauquier counties," 7 Aug. 2017
Santos learned to make puff pastry while at Sullivan University but lately hasn’t found time to devote to the laborious process.

— nancy miller, The Courier-Journal, "Corbett's pastry chef: You don't need formal training to nail a good dessert," 1 Aug. 2017
Remove puffs from oven and allow to cool completely.

— mary g. pepitone, kansascity, "Chocolate-drizzled French puffed pastry looks difficult, but is easy to make," 25 July 2017
Charred onion pho dip with tendon puffs could rule any Super Bowl spread, while the truffled toad-in-a-hole resembles an amplified riff on the croque madame.

— garrett snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Los Angeles Magazine Hot Restaurant List for July 2017," 18 July 2017
Make a simple French fruit tart by using pre-packaged puff pastry as the crust coupled with a variety of fresh stone fruits.

— terri milligan, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Picnic panache: Celebrate Bastille Day outdoors with a portable French feast," 4 July 2017
There was Mariah Carey—the type of standard-issue cream puff most commonly rewarded at this type of event—looking increasingly miffed as 21-year-old Alanis Morissette bounded onstage to receive five awards.

— kim france, Daily Intelligencer, "Feminism Rocks," 30 June 2017

First Known Use of puff

13th century

puff Synonyms

Synonyms

air, breath, breeze, waft, zephyr

Related Words

current, draft, whiff; sea breeze; blast, blow, flurry, gale, headwind, northeaster, norther, northwester, southeaster, southwester, tailwind, westerly, wind; squall, tempest, tornado, windstorm; airflow

Near Antonyms

calm

puff

adjective

Definition of puff

:of, relating to, or designed for promotion or flattery

a puff piece in the paper

First Known Use of puff

1943

PUFF Defined for English Language Learners

puff

play

verb

Definition of puff for English Language Learners

: to breathe smoke from a cigarette, pipe, etc., in and out of the lungs
: to produce or send out small clouds of smoke or steam
: to move in a particular direction while producing clouds of steam or smoke

puff

noun

Definition of puff for English Language Learners

: an act of breathing something (such as smoke or medicine) into your lungs
: a movement of gas, smoke, or air that can be seen or felt
: a light, round pastry that contains a sweet filling

PUFF Defined for Kids

puff

play

verb \ ˈpəf \

Definition of puff for Students

puffed; puffing

1 :to breathe hard :pant

2 :to send out small whiffs or clouds (as of smoke)

3 :to swell up or become swollen with or as if with air

The injured eye puffed up.

I puffed out my cheeks.

puff

noun

Definition of puff for Students

1 :a quick short instance of sending or letting out air, smoke, or steam

We could see puffs from a locomotive.

2 :a slight swelling

3 :a soft pad for putting powder on the skin

4 :a light pastry

Medical Dictionary

puff

play

intransitive verb \ ˈpəf \

medical Definition of puff

1 :to become distended :swell —usually used with up

2 :to form a chromosomal puff

puff

noun

medical Definition of puff

1 :windgall

2 :an enlarged region of a chromosome that is associated with intensely active genes involved in RNA synthesis

Law Dictionary

puff

noun

legal Definition of puff

1 :an act or instance of puffing

2 :a statement that amounts to puffing

whether the seller's statement was a “puff” or an express warranty
—J. J. White and R. S. Summers

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See words that rhyme with puff Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for puff Spanish Central: Translation of puff Nglish: Translation of puff for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of puff for Arabic speakers

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puff

Definition of puff

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Examples of puff in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of puff

puff Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

puff

Definition of puff

puffiness

puffy

Examples of puff in a Sentence

Recent Examples of puff from the Web

First Known Use of puff

puff Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

puff

Definition of puff

First Known Use of puff

Phrases Related to PUFF

Related Phrases

PUFF Defined for English Language Learners

puff

Definition of puff for English Language Learners

puff

Definition of puff for English Language Learners

PUFF Defined for Kids

puff

Definition of puff for Students

puff

Definition of puff for Students

Medical Dictionary

puff

medical Definition of puff

puff

medical Definition of puff

Law Dictionary

puff

legal Definition of puff

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