Pouf vs Puff - What's the difference?
pouf | puff |
(historical) A headdress for women popular in 18th century France.
A high hair style for women consisting of a roll or pad of hair, worn up.
* {{quote-news, year=2009, date=February 10, author=Katie Thomas, title=The Poodle Can’t Talk Now; She’s in With Her Stylist, work=New York Times
, passage=Hosaka, nearly everyone agrees, is a master of detail, an artist who tends his poodles’ poufs as if they were bonsai trees from his native Japan.}}
(dressmaking) Part of an item of clothing consisting of gathered fabric in a bunch.
A low cushioned seat with no back; a padded footstool.
* 1922 , , Asphodel :
* 1948 , (John Creasey), The Case Against Paul Raeburn :
* 1971 , ‘Slaughter at the Summer Palace’, Time , 26 Aug 1971:
A short skirt gathered into a rounded puffy shape; a puffball.
A ball of fabric (such as nylon monofilament netting) used for washing (as an alternative to a flannel, washcloth, sponge, etc.) .
(dated) A small saddle cushion worn atop the buttocks (as a fashion trend – similar to a bustle) .
Onomatopoeia indicating a cloud of smoke or wind; caused by a deflating object, or a magical disappearance.
(countable) A sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth.
(uncountable) The ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself.
(countable) A small quantity of gas or smoke in the air.
* Flatman
(informal, countable) An act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe.
(countable) A flamboyant or alluring statement about an object's quality.
(dated, slang) A puffer, one who is employed by the owner or seller of goods sold at auction to bid up the price; an act or scam of that type.
* 1842 , "A Paper on Puffing", in Ainsworth's Magazine
* 1848 , Mrs. White, "Puffs and Puffing", in Sharpe's London Magazine
* 2008 , David Paton-Williamspage, Katterfelto , page xii
A puffball.
A powder puff.
(uncountable, slang) The drug cannabis.
(countable) A light cake filled with cream, cream cheese, etc.
(derogatory, slang, British, particularly northern UK) a homosexual; a poof
(slang, dated, UK) life
* 1938 , P. G. Wodehouse (Bertie Wooster speaking of Spode) in The Code of the Woosters
To emit smoke, gas, etc., in puffs.
To pant.
* L'Estrange
* 1918 , (Edgar Rice Burroughs), Chapter VI
(archaic) To advertise.
To blow as an expression of scorn.
* South
To swell with air; to be dilated or inflated.
To breathe in a swelling, inflated, or pompous manner; hence, to assume importance.
* Herbert
To drive with a puff, or with puffs.
* Dryden
To repel with words; to blow at contemptuously.
* Dryden
To cause to swell or dilate; to inflate.
* Shakespeare
To inflate with pride, flattery, self-esteem, etc.; often with up .
* Jowett
To praise with exaggeration; to flatter; to call public attention to by praises; to praise unduly.
* Macaulay
As nouns the difference between pouf and puff
is that pouf is (historical) a headdress for women popular in 18th century france while puff is (colloquial) brothel, bordello.As an interjection pouf
is onomatopoeia indicating a cloud of smoke or wind; caused by a deflating object, or a magical disappearance.pouf
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) pouf, (pouff), of imitative origin; compare (puff).Alternative forms
* pouffeNoun
(en noun)citation
- The voice came from the end of the divan but Hermione, seated square before the fire on a low pouffe did not turn to face its suave producer.
- Raeburn's handsome head was resting against the back of his chair; Eve sat on a pouf in front of the fire.
- Italian Ambassador Amedeo Guillet, who makes it a practice never to eat at midday, lounged on a Moroccan pouf reading The Peter Principle .
Synonyms
* (homosexual) horse's hoof (cockney rhyming slang), poofta; pooftah; poofter; poofEtymology 2
Imitative.Alternative forms
poofInterjection
(en interjection)- Pouf , he was gone.
Anagrams
* ----puff
English
Noun
- out of puff
- puff of smoke
- to every puff of wind a slave
- Is nothing to be said in praise of the "Emporiums" and "Repositories" and "Divans," which formerly were mere insignificant tailors', toymen's, and tobacconists' shops? Is the transition from the barber's pole to the revolving bust of the perruquier, nothing? — the leap from the bare counter-traversed shop to the carpeted and mirrored saloon of trade, nothing? Are they not, one and all, practical puffs , intended to invest commerce with elegance, and to throw a halo round extravagance?
- Here the duke is made the vehicle of the tailor's advertisement, and the prelusive compliments, ostensibly meant for his grace, merge into a covert recommendation of the coat. Several specimens might be given of this species of puff , which is to be met with in almost every paper, and is a favourite form with booksellers, professional men, &c.
- He was the eighteenth century king of spin, or, in the language of the day, the "prince of puff ".
- cream puff
- Did you ever in your puff see such a perfect perisher?
Synonyms
* (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) * (ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself) wind * (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) * drag * (cannabis) blow, dope, ganja, pot, weed; see also * (type of cake) pastry * (poof) See poofDerived terms
* powder puff * puff pastry * puffer * puffery * puffing * puff pieceVerb
(en verb)- The ass comes back again, puffing and blowing, from the chase.
- Puffing and panting, we plodded on until within about a mile of the harbor we came upon a sight that brought us all up standing.
- It is really to defy Heaven to puff at damnation.
- (Boyle)
- Then came brave Glory puffing by.
- The clearing north will puff the clouds away.
- I puff the prostitute away.
- a bladder puffed with air
- the sea puffed up with winds
- puffed up with military success
- puffed with wonderful skill
