Puff vs Bluff - What's the difference?
puff | bluff |
(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
An act of bluffing; a false expression of the strength of one's position in order to intimidate; braggadocio.
(poker) An attempt to represent oneself as holding a stronger hand than they actually do.
(US, dated) The card game poker.
((poker) To make a bluff ; to give the impression that one's hand is stronger than it is.
(by analogy ) To frighten or deter with a false show of strength or confidence; to give a false impression of strength or temerity in order to intimidate and gain some advantage.
A high, steep bank, as by a river or the sea, or beside a ravine or plain; a cliff with a broad face.
(senseid) (Canadian Prairies) A small wood or stand of trees, typically poplar or willow.
Having a broad, flattened front.
Rising steeply with a flat or rounded front.
* Falconer
* Judd
Surly; churlish; gruff; rough.
* 1883:
Abrupt; roughly frank; unceremonious; blunt; brusque.
* I. Taylor
As nouns the difference between puff and bluff
is that puff is a sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth while bluff is an act of bluffing; a false expression of the strength of one's position in order to intimidate; braggadocio.As verbs the difference between puff and bluff
is that puff is to emit smoke, gas, etc., in puffs while bluff is ( To make a bluff; to give the impression that one's hand is stronger than it is.As an adjective bluff is
having a broad, flattened front.As a proper noun Bluff is
the southernmost town in the South Island of New Zealand, and seaport for the Southland region.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
Derived terms
* puffed * puff up * puff outbluff
English
(wikipedia bluff)Etymology 1
From (etyl) .Noun
(en noun)- That is only bluff''', or a '''bluff .
- John's bet was a bluff : he bet without even so much as a pair.
- (Bartlett)
Verb
(en verb)- John bluffed by betting without even a pair.
- The government claims it will call an election if this bill does not pass. Is it truly ready to do so, or is it bluffing ?
Derived terms
* bluffer * double bluff * triple bluff * quadruple bluff * semi-bluffEtymology 2
Related to blaff, "smooth".Noun
(en noun)Adjective
(er)- the bluff bows of a ship
- a bluff or bold shore
- Its banks, if not really steep, had a bluff and precipitous aspect.
- he had a bluff , rough-and-ready face, all roughened and reddened and lined in his long travels.
- a bluff''' answer; a '''bluff''' manner of talking; a '''bluff sea captain
- There is indeed a bluff pertinacity which is a proper defence in a moment of surprise.
