/ mʌf; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
a short tube of fur or other warm material that you put your hands into to keep them warm in cold weather
—see also earmuffs
■ verb
[ vn ] ( informal , disapproving ) to miss an opportunity to do sth well :
He muffed his lines (= he forgot them or said them wrongly) .
It was a really simple shot, and I muffed it.
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WORD ORIGIN
noun mid 16th cent.: from Dutch mof , Middle Dutch muffel , from medieval Latin muff(u)la , of unknown ultimate origin.
verb early 19th cent.: of unknown origin.