Definition of stuff
1 : materials, supplies, or equipment used in various activities: such asa obsolete : military baggageb : 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
4a : literary or artistic productionb : writing, discourse, talk, or ideas of little value : trash
5a : an unspecified material substance or aggregate of matter volcanic rock is curious stuffb : something (as a drug or food) consumed or introduced into the body by humansc : a matter to be considered the truth was heady stuff long-term policy stuffd : 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
6a : fundamental material : substance the stuff of greatnessb : subject matter a teacher who knows her stuff
7 : special knowledge or capability showing their stuff
8a : spin imparted to a thrown or hit ball to make it curve or change courseb : 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
stuffless
adjectiveRead the Latest from M-W
Examples of stuff in a Sentence
She got out the cooking stuff to bake some cookies.
computers, word processors, and stuff like that
I need a place to store my stuff.
Pick that stuff up off the floor.
Recent Examples of stuff from the Web
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But there is a revolution and a revelation lurking in these childlike elements—a demonstration that the immaterial stuff of time can be evoked through the most material of forms.
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Forget how many movies stuff like this happens in and try to imagine it as real: a man without teeth refusing release.
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McCarthy Road stories are the stuff of Alaska legend.
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Instead of covering stuff like the Rwandan genocide, media obsessed over a Hollywood murder trial starring O.J., a slow, white Bronco, Johnnie Cochran, Judge Lance Ito and the L.A. County prosecution team of Bevis Clark and Butthead Darden.
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Skip ahead to 21:50 for the client-specific stuff, which includes a more reactive Library tab and new game launch pages.
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There’s a creative ferment, with burgeoning art and tech and food scenes, a rapidly expanding rail network, and, well, all the other stuff this magazine covers.
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But even that stuff is several orders of magnitude easier than shaking off the steady rain of bystander opinions.
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Just health and recreational habits, and stuff like that.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stuff.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology 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
stuff
Definition of stuff
transitive verb
1a : to fill by packing things in : cram the boy stuffed his pockets with candyb : to fill to satiety : surfeit stuffed themselves with turkeyc : to prepare (meat or vegetables) by filling or lining with a stuffingd : to fill (something, such as a cushion) with a soft materiale : to fill out the skin of (an animal) for mounting
2a : to fill by intellectual effort stuffing their heads with factsb : to pack full of something immaterial a book stuffed with information
3 : to fill or block up (something, such as nasal passages)
4a : to cause to enter or fill : thrust stuffed a lot of clothing into a laundry bagb : to put (a ball, a puck, etc.) 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 in a Sentence
The boy stuffed his pockets with candy.
She stuffed the laundry bag full.
Recent Examples of stuff from the Web
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Ted Stankowich, a biology professor at Cal State Long Beach, has 100 coyote heads stuffed into a freezer at work.
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Ted Stankowich, a biology professor at Cal State Long Beach, has 100 coyote heads stuffed into a freezer at work.
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Ted Stankowich, a biology professor at Cal State Long Beach, has 100 coyote heads stuffed into a freezer at work.
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Clifton’s also prides themselves in their huge calzones that are stuffed with cheese, sauce, and your choice of six toppings.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stuff.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of stuff
15th century
STUFF Defined for English Language Learners
stuff
playDefinition of stuff for English Language Learners
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: materials, supplies, or equipment
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: a group or pile of things that are not specifically described
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—used to speak in a general way about something that is talked about, written about, etc.
stuff
Definition of stuff for English Language Learners
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: to fill (something) so that there is no room for anything else
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: to push (something) quickly and carelessly into a small space
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: to put a seasoned mixture of food into (something that is being cooked)
STUFF Defined for Kids
Definition of stuff for Students
1 : materials, supplies, or equipment that people need or use We helped move his stuff to the new apartment.
2 : writing, speech, sounds, actions, or ideas of little value … some of the boys act so immature, making monkey sounds and stuff. — Paula Danziger, Amber Brown
3 : something mentioned or understood but not named Wipe that stuff off your face.
4 : basic part of something : substance The floor is made of tough stuff. She shows the stuff of greatness.
Definition of stuff for Students
stuffed
;stuffing
Medical Dictionary
stuff
playMedical Definition of stuff
: to choke or block up (as nasal passages) a stuffed up nose
Learn More about stuff
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See words that rhyme with stuff Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for stuff Spanish Central: Translation of stuff Nglish: Translation of stuff for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of stuff for Arabic speakers
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