/ flʌf; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun [ U ]
1.
( BrE ) (also lint NAmE , BrE ) small pieces of wool, cotton, etc. that gather on clothes and other surfaces
2.
soft animal fur or bird feathers, that is found especially on young animals or birds
3.
( informal , especially NAmE ) entertainment that is not serious and is not considered to have great value
■ verb [ vn ]
1.
( informal ) to do sth badly or to fail at sth
SYN bungle :
He completely fluffed an easy shot (= in sport) .
Most actors fluff their lines occasionally.
2.
fluff sth (out / up) to shake or brush sth so that it looks larger and/or softer :
The female sat on the eggs, fluffing out her feathers.
Let me fluff up your pillows for you.
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WORD ORIGIN
late 18th cent.: probably a dialect alteration of 16th-cent. flue down, nap, fluff , apparently from Flemish vluwe .