# puff

> English word · Noun · IPA /pʌf/ · frequency rank #13,992

## Definitions
1. A sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth.
2. The ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself.
3. A small quantity of gas or smoke in the air.
4. A sudden but small gust of wind, smoke, etc.
5. An act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe.
6. The drug cannabis.
7. A flamboyant or alluring statement of praise.
8. A portion of fabric gathered up so as to be left full in the middle.
9. A light cake filled with cream, cream cheese, etc.
10. A puffball.
11. A powder puff.
12. 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.
13. A region of a chromosome exhibiting a local increase in diameter.
14. Life.
15. Synonym of poof: a gay man; especially one who is effeminate.

## Etymology
From Middle English puff, puf, from Old English pyf (“a blast of wind, puff”), from Proto-West Germanic *puf(f)- (“to blow, puff”), of imitative origin. Cognate with Dutch puf (“puff, wind, fart”), Middle Low German puf, pof (“puff”).

## Easily confused with
- **put** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puff-vs-put)
- **pup** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puff-vs-pup)
- **pun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puff-vs-pun)
- **pug** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puff-vs-pug)
- **pus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puff-vs-pus)
- **pur** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puff-vs-pur)
- **pull** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puff-vs-pull)
- **push** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puff-vs-push)
- **pure** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puff-vs-pure)
- **puts** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puff-vs-puts)
- **pump** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puff-vs-pump)
- **punk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puff-vs-punk)
- **pulp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puff-vs-pulp)
- **punt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puff-vs-punt)
- **Pune** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puff-vs-pune)
- **pups** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puff-vs-pups)
- **puke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puff-vs-puke)
- **puma** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puff-vs-puma)
- **putt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puff-vs-putt)
- **puns** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puff-vs-puns)

## Common misspellings (4)
`pfuf`, `ppuff`, `puf`, `upff`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/puff