— puffingly , adv.
/puf/ , n.
1. a short, quick blast, as of wind or breath.
2. an abrupt emission of air, smoke, vapor, etc.
3. an act of inhaling and exhaling, as on a cigarette or pipe; whiff.
4. the sound of an abrupt emission of air, vapor, etc.
5. a small quantity of vapor, smoke, etc., emitted at one blast.
6. an inflated or distended part of a thing; swelling; protuberance.
7. a form of light pastry with a filling of cream, jam, or the like.
8. a portion of material gathered and held down at the edges but left full in the middle, as on a sleeve.
9. a cylindrical roll of hair.
10. a quilted bed covering, usually filled with down.
11. a commendation, esp. an exaggerated one, of a book, an actor's performance, etc.
12. See powder puff .
13. a ball or pad of soft material.
14. puffball.
15. Chiefly Brit. Slang. a male homosexual.
v.i.
16. to blow with short, quick blasts, as the wind.
17. to be emitted in a puff.
18. to emit a puff or puffs; breathe quick and hard, as after violent exertion.
19. to go with puffing or panting.
20. to emit puffs or whiffs of vapor or smoke.
21. to move with such puffs: The locomotive puffed into the station.
22. to take puffs at a cigar, cigarette, etc.
23. to become inflated, distended, or swollen (usually fol. by up ).
24. (esp. of an auctioneer's accomplice) to bid on an item at an auction solely to increase the price that the final bidder must pay.
v.t.
25. to send forth (air, vapor, etc.) in short, quick blasts.
26. to drive or impel by puffing, or with a short, quick blast.
27. to extinguish by means of a puff (usually fol. by out ): to puff a match out.
28. to smoke (a cigar, cigarette, etc.).
29. to inflate, distend, or swell, esp. with air.
30. to make fluffy; fluff (often fol. by up ): to puff up a pillow.
31. to inflate with pride, vanity, etc. (often fol. by up ): Their applause puffed him up.
32. to praise unduly or with exaggeration.
33. to apply powder to (the cheeks, neck, etc.) with a powder puff.
34. to apply (powder) with a powder puff.
35. to arrange in puffs, as the hair.
[ 1175-1225; (v.) ME puffen (cf. MD puffen, LG pof, puf ); (n.) ME puf, puffe; of imit. orig. ]
Syn. 11. overpraise, exaggeration, puffery, flattery.