I. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Dutch mof German, from German muff grumbler, sulky person, of imitative origin
obsolete : german , swiss — usually used disparagingly
II. ˈməf noun
( -s )
Etymology: Dutch mof, from Middle Dutch moffe, moffel, muffel mitten, thick glove, muff, from Middle French moufle mitten, from Medieval Latin muffula
1. : a warm tubular covering with open ends into which the hands may be thrust that is usually made of cloth or fur, usually lined and padded, and used by men in the 18th century and now only by women and children
2.
a.
(1) : a cluster of feathers on the side of the face of domestic fowls of certain breeds
(2) : feathering on the feet and shanks of some pigeons
b. : a protective pad or covering for the natural spurs of a cock worn during training fights — usually used in plural
3. : a blown cylinder of glass which is afterward flattened out to make a sheet
4. : a short hollow cylinder surrounding an object or used to connect two abutting objects (as pipes or shafts)
[s]muff.jpg[/s] [
muff 1
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III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: probably from muff (II)
1.
a. : a bungling performance : a clumsy failure
b. : a failure to hold a ball in attempting to catch it
2.
a. : an awkward person ; especially : one who is poor in an athletic sport
a complete muff at cricket — G.M.Trevelyan
b. : a poor-spirited person : duffer
IV. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
transitive verb
1. : to handle awkwardly : do awkwardly : bungle , fluff
gave me another chance to make good on a job I once muffed — Agnes M. Cleaveland
2. : to fail to hold (a ball) when attempting a catch : fumble
intransitive verb
1. : to act or do something stupidly or clumsily : bungle , fluff
2. : to muff a ball — compare fumble