stuff

noun

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\ ˈstəf

Definition of stuff

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : materials, supplies, or equipment used in various activities: such 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

4a : literary or artistic production

b : writing, discourse, talk, or ideas of little value : trash

5a : 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

6a : fundamental material : substance the stuff of greatness

b : 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 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

verb

stuffed; stuffing; stuffs

Definition of stuff (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to fill by packing things in : cram the boy stuffed his pockets with candy

b : to fill to satiety : surfeit stuffed themselves with turkey

c : to prepare (meat or vegetables) by filling or lining with a stuffing

d : to fill (something, such as a cushion) with a soft material

e : to fill out the skin of (an animal) for mounting

2a : to fill by intellectual effort stuffing their heads with facts

b : 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 bag

b : to put (a ball, a puck, etc.) into a goal forcefully from close range

5 —used in the imperative to express contemptif 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

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Examples of stuff in a Sentence

Noun 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. Verb The boy stuffed his pockets with candy. She stuffed the laundry bag full.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Sign up for the Daily Humor newsletter and get The New Yorker cartoons and Shouts—plus more funny stuff—every day in your in-box! — Paul Karasik, The New Yorker, "It’s Time to Start Talking to Yourself," 26 Mar. 2020 The fly-rod portion of the test was carried out at a private fly-only club, which ensured every rod and reel would have a chance to show me its stuff while pitted against trout weighing up to 10 pounds. — Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, "Tackle Test: The Best New Fishing Rods and Reels for 2020, Ranked and Rated," 23 Mar. 2020 Still, Tiuri doesn't seem to actually do a lot, but rather, a lot of stuff is just done to him. — Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Letter for the King': TV Review," 20 Mar. 2020 Many of us have already experienced death-by-buffering during peak hours of 7 p.m. onward, and YouTube and Netflix have already dropped their bit rates meaning your spankin’ new 4k TV might not show its stuff. — Matt Bean, Sunset Magazine, "Sunset Cinemas: The Best Western-Themed Documentaries," 20 Mar. 2020 Humans can help to protect themselves from zoonotic illnesses, and keep their pets safe too, by washing their hands after touching any animal or its stuff. — Lizz Schumer, Good Housekeeping, "We Asked Experts Whether Your Dog Can Get and Transmit Coronavirus," 13 Mar. 2020 For decades, scientists have dreamed of using atomic nuclei embedded in silicon—the familiar stuff of microchips—as quantum bits, or qubits, in a superpowerful quantum computer, manipulating them with magnetic fields. — Adrian Cho, Science | AAAS, "Chance discovery brings quantum computing using standard microchips a step closer," 11 Mar. 2020 Material lack, on the other hand, makes Burning Cane’s creation story the stuff of legend. — Casey Gerald, The New York Review of Books, "Heat, Haunting & Heartache: A Young Filmmaker’s Louisiana," 7 Mar. 2020 But here’s the catch: Since the stars and the gas are made of the same stuff, much of the light emitted by the stars is at just the right energy to be reabsorbed by the hydrogen surrounding them. — Quanta Magazine, "How the Cosmic Dark Ages Snuffed Out All Light," 2 Mar. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb With prices mostly in the two or three figures, her studded leather jackets and slinky slip dresses look not unlike what stuffs the racks at H&M and Forever 21. — Sheila Marikar, New York Times, "How to Make an American Fashion Brand (No Sewing Required!)," 26 Aug. 2017 Instead, the avocado was simply halved, then stuffed with a corn salad consisting of corn, tomatoes, cilantro, peppers, and lime vinaigrette. — Birmingham Magazine, AL.com, "Birmingham Restaurant Week Review: Lunch at Bottega Cafe," 15 Aug. 2017 Airport officials say the toilet had been stuffed with paper towels, and the airline affected, Southwest, offered replacement bags to some customers. — miamiherald, "One overflowing toilet delayed thousands of people traveling to Florida," 9 Aug. 2017 Mr. Holmes Bakehouse and Smitten Ice Cream have teamed up to blow your mind this weekend, when the former’s signature croissant/muffin hybrids will be stuffed with Smitten flavors. — Marielle Wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "The 5 Best Things to Do in L.A. This Weekend," 28 July 2017 One major favorite was The Fifth Element, Luc Besson’s 1997 masterpiece, a sci-fi/action wonderment stuffed full of oddball style and weirdo Euro humor. — Richard Lawson, vanityfair.com, "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Is an Endearing, Eye-Popping Mess," 18 July 2017 One major favorite was The Fifth Element, Luc Besson’s 1997 masterpiece, a sci-fi/action wonderment stuffed full of oddball style and weirdo Euro humor. — Richard Lawson, HWD, "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Is an Endearing, Eye-Popping Mess," 18 July 2017 THE factory of the future will be a building stuffed full of robots making robots. — The Economist, "The Gemini makersMillions of things will soon have digital twins," 13 July 2017 Some products that could be coming soon to your favorite food retailer: Mini bagels shaped almost like tennis balls, cheesecake stuffed inside ice cream-style cones and a delicately flavored beverage derived from unroasted coffee beans. — Charles Passy, WSJ, "Cricket Bars, Anyone? Quirky Foods Take Center Stage at Gourmet Trade Show," 26 June 2017

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.

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Last Updated

30 Mar 2020

Cite this Entry

“Stuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stuff. Accessed 30 Mar. 2020.

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More Definitions for stuff

stuff

noun

English Language Learners Definition of stuff

(Entry 1 of 2)

: materials, supplies, or equipment

: a group or pile of things that are not specifically described

informal —used to speak in a general way about something that is talked about, written about, etc.

stuff

verb

English Language Learners Definition of stuff (Entry 2 of 2)

: to fill (something) so that there is no room for anything else

: to push (something) quickly and carelessly into a small space

: to put a seasoned mixture of food into (something that is being cooked)

See the full definition for stuff in the English Language Learners Dictionary

stuff

noun

\ ˈstəf

Kids Definition of stuff

(Entry 1 of 2)

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.

stuff

verb

stuffed; stuffing

Kids Definition of stuff (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to force into something : thrust She stuffed the clothes into a drawer.

2 : to fill by packing or crowding things in : cram I stuffed the suitcases.

3 : overeat, gorge

4 : to fill with a stuffing stuff a turkey

5 : to block up : congest His nose is stuffed.

stuff