taffy

noun taf·fy \ ˈta-fē \

|Updated on: 7 Jul 2018

Definition of taffy

plural taffies

1 : a boiled candy usually of sugar, molasses or corn syrup, butter, and often vinegar and vanilla that is pulled until porous and glossy

2 : insincere flattery

See taffy defined for English-language learners

See taffy defined for kids

Examples of taffy in a Sentence

the magazine's profiles of showbiz celebrities tend to be pure taffy

Recent Examples of taffy from the Web

Several players are also doing last-second neck and back exercises because, according to Senior Bowl lore, that's how Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson managed to taffy-stretch himself above 5-10 at this event in 2012.

— paul daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Morning Line: Celebrating three years of Jillian The Magnificent and Ryan Mavriplis," 27 June 2018
Vendors also sell everything from cranberry cheese to cranberry sausage, cranberry candies, fudge and taffy, dried cranberries and cranberry jams.

— nancy stohs, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "6 food festivals that offer a glimpse of Wisconsin specialties and local culture," 6 June 2018
The pageant is an extended advertisement not for taffy shops on the boardwalk, or now for a particular Beautiful Bathing Girl, but indeed for the opposite: for the Beautiful Bathing Girl, as a general idea.

— megan garber, The Atlantic, "Miss America 2.0: The Inner Beauty Pageant?," 5 June 2018
His father’s best year amounted to about 9,000 pounds of taffy.

— lauren delgado, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Zeno’s Boardwalk Sweet Shop celebrates 70 years - and National Taffy Day," 23 May 2018
The stuffed roll would be sold wrapped like a taffy in white parchment paper twisted at both ends.

— nik sharma, San Francisco Chronicle, "A Brown Kitchen: Savory Lamb Swirl Buns," 16 Mar. 2018
The skin flap is then stretched down and taut (think pulling taffy), a new hole is made for your belly button, and excess skin is cut away.

— hallie levine, Redbook, "Would You Get A "Mommy Tuck" ?," 14 Mar. 2011
Sucked into the machine, my nipples looked like long, pink taffy, stretched and then milked.

— meaghan o'connell, Longreads, "A Certain Kind of Mammal," 10 Apr. 2018
The syrup’s sugars caramelize just enough to intensify the maple flavors, and the combination of warm, chewy maple taffy and little flecks of residual snow is divine.

— todd plummer, Vogue, "This Québecois Treat Is the Perfect Dessert for Your Next Winter Dinner Party," 22 Jan. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of taffy

origin unknown

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1817

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

TAFFY Defined for English Language Learners

taffy

noun

Definition of taffy for English Language Learners

: a type of soft and chewy candy

TAFFY Defined for Kids

taffy

noun taf·fy \ ˈta-fē \

Definition of taffy for Students

plural taffies

: a candy made usually of molasses or brown sugar boiled and pulled until soft

Learn More about taffy

See words that rhyme with taffy Spanish Central: Translation of taffy Nglish: Translation of taffy for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about taffy

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taffy

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TAFFY Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of taffy for English Language Learners

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taffy

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