puff1 verbpuff2 noun
puffpuff1 /pʌf/ ●○○ verb 
WORD ORIGINpuff1
Origin:
Old English pyffan, from the soundVERB TABLE
puff
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | puff |
| he, she, it | puffs | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | puffed |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have puffed |
| he, she, it | has puffed | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had puffed |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will puff |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have puffed |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am puffing |
| he, she, it | is puffing | |
| you, we, they | are puffing | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was puffing |
| you, we, they | were puffing | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been puffing |
| he, she, it | has been puffing | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been puffing |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be puffing |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been puffing |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- ""Sorry I'm so late Maxie,'' he said, puffing breathlessly.
- factory chimneys puffing smoke
- You could see her puffing as she carried the heavy washing basket.
- Birdsong drifted through the open window and a breeze puffed out the curtains.
- Diminutive body, pink puffed sleeves, dress a criss-cross of black stripes.
- Eventually, puffing and panting, he arrived at the security gate.
- He just goes on past me, puffing away and shoving this trolley thing in front of him.
- It was a huffing and puffing.
- People such as Safire huffed and puffed about her futures-trading profits, but the matter faded from view.
- The father kept his cheeks puffed out because the third oldest burst into giggles every time she looked over at him.
- With a cry of rage, he puffed on his much-chewed stogie and fired at us.
Longman Language Activatorto breathe with difficulty
unable to breathe easily, especially because you are unhealthy: · When I wake up in the morning I'm often very short of breath.· She got short of breath very easily because she was so overweight.· The fog irritated his lungs and made him short of breath.
having difficulty breathing, especially because you have just been running, climbing stairs etc: · She sounded a little breathless, as if she had been running.· We were all a little out of breath when we got on the train.· Can we have a rest? -- I'm a bit out of breath.
to breathe very quickly and deeply because you are having difficulty breathing normally, for example after running fast or because you have been injured: · The hill was very steep and they were all gasping by the time they got to the top.· "Do you think you can walk?" I asked. "I'll try," he gasped.gasp for breath (=because you can hardly breathe): · His mother was coughing and gasping for breath.
to breathe loudly and with difficulty, because you are doing something which needs a lot of physical effort: · You could see her puffing as she carried the heavy washing basket.· "Sorry I'm so late Maxie,'' he said, puffing breathlessly.
to breathe quickly and noisily with your mouth open, for example, because you have just been running: · Matt was still panting after his run.· When I reached the top of the stairs I was puffing and panting like an old steam engine.· A strange brown dog suddenly jumped all over him, panting, its tongue out.
also be bunged up British spoken to have difficulty breathing through your nose because you have a cold : · She doesn't want to go to school. She says her throat is sore and she's stuffed up.be all bunged up: · I couldn't sleep last night because I was all bunged up.
to breathe with a whistling noise in your throat and chest because you are ill or unhealthy: · When she coughed she made a terrible wheezing sound.· His asthma was acting up and he wheezed throughout the show.
to smoke a cigarette, pipe etc to breathe in smoke from a cigarette, pipe etc, either from one cigarette etc or regularly: · How old were you when you started smoking?· Do you mind if I smoke?· He sat behind his desk, smoking a fat cigar.· Sue never smoked a cigarette in her life, yet she still got lung cancer.· Anyone who smokes 40 a day can expect to have a lot of health problems.
the habit or act of smoking: · Some teenage girls think that smoking helps keep their weight down.· Smoking is not allowed in any part of the building.· These days smoking is seen as an anti-social habit.passive smoking (=when you breathe in the smoke from other people's cigarettes): · Roy believed his illness was caused by passive smoking.
to take small amounts of smoke into your mouth from a cigarette, cigar, or pipe: · He lit a cigar and puffed on it thoughtfully.· They drove in silence, Charlie contentedly puffing on his pipe.
to breathe in a lot of smoke from a cigarette, pipe etc in one long breath: · She lit her last cigarette, and drew on it slowly.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
George puffed and panted as he tried to keep up. He caught up with Gary, puffing for breath.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
George puffed and panted as he tried to keep up. He caught up with Gary, puffing for breath. (=a small amount that comes quickly from something)· There was a puff of white smoke from the man's gun.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· Regan gazed abstractedly up at the ceiling, puffing away at his cigar.· The rice cooker puffs away many nights, with jasmine rice scenting the air.· He just goes on past me, puffing away and shoving this trolley thing in front of him.· Winnie whips out a stogie and starts puffing away, blowing smoke over to your table.· Three youths piled into it simultaneously, puffing away in my face.· Gary and I laughed, but Nate just puffed away on his pipe.· Of course she didn't smoke, she thought, watching them lighting up and puffing away.· For 35 years, Richard Gourlain has puffed away on pungent unfiltered Gauloises.
· Here we have a co-production of mini-series ambitions, but without the necessary budget or pomposity to puff out to epic proportions.· Under her starched cap the dyed dry hair was puffed out.· Shot after shot puffs out of the barrel, knocking dust all around the buck.· Birdsong drifted through the open window and a breeze puffed out the curtains.· The father kept his cheeks puffed out because the third oldest burst into giggles every time she looked over at him.
· The males responded by puffing up their chests and circling slowly towards each other.· And within the field, status comes from puffing up racial bragging points.· Her legs look puffed up, rubbery, but they keep moving.· They lack the sharp spines but are covered with fine prickles that are evident when the puffer puffs up.· Subsequently, the soap became further puffed up.· The guy was all bristly and red and puffed up, in fatigue pants and a brown shirt.· As they obeyed, Mungo could see that the sorcerer's apprentice was a toad, puffed up with fear or pride.· Ashby recalls his skin puffed up.
NOUN· The males responded by puffing up their chests and circling slowly towards each other.· It puffed its chest, raised its upper body, and threw back the head in a gesture of defiance.· He puffed up his chest like an exotic bird engaged in a courtship dance.· At the fence, he suddenly sucked his stomach in and puffed his chest out.
· Regan gazed abstractedly up at the ceiling, puffing away at his cigar.· Trumka just looked at me and puffed his cigar.· He was puffing a fat cigar, the smoke concealing his facial features.
· Gary and I laughed, but Nate just puffed away on his pipe.· He squatted beside us and puffed loudly on his pipe.· Nate looked proud, puffing on his pipe as he told us about his adventure.
· Winnie whips out a stogie and starts puffing away, blowing smoke over to your table.· Thankfully he was too dim to perceive the effect he had on his beloved and puffed smoke lovingly at every sourness.· When they arrived at the fire, there were no flames visible, just puffs of smoke.
VERB· After all their huffing and puffing, every incumbent was desperate to claim some achievement.· Now there's to be a schools painting competition about the bulldozers that can huff and puff and pull the house down.· He ascends, huffing and puffing, stopping at each landing.· Brian, furious, would huff and puff as Mazzin unceremoniously threw him back down on his bed.· It was a huffing and puffing.· People such as Safire huffed and puffed about her futures-trading profits, but the matter faded from view.· Before long he was huffing and puffing, his dark neck thrust out at a sharp angle.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1[intransitive] to breathe quickly and with difficulty after the effort of running, carrying something heavy etc: - Gillespie's cheeks puffed out as he blew into his bent-bell trumpet.
- A couple of pudgy joggers were huffing and puffing along the path.
- After all their huffing and puffing, every incumbent was desperate to claim some achievement.
- Before long he was huffing and puffing, his dark neck thrust out at a sharp angle.
- Brian, furious, would huff and puff as Mazzin unceremoniously threw him back down on his bed.
- But however the warning was given, the board, huff and puff as it might, will have to pay attention.
- He huffed and puffed-but failed to shake the growing edifice of evidence stacked up against him.
- He ascends, huffing and puffing, stopping at each landing.
- It was a huffing and puffing.
- Now there's to be a schools painting competition about the bulldozers that can huff and puff and pull the house down.
George puffed and panted as he tried to keep up.puff along/up etc An old man puffed up to them. He caught up with Gary, puffing for breath. → huff and puff at huff1(1)2[intransitive, transitive] (also puff away) to breathe in and out while smoking a cigarette or pipepuff at/on Kinane sat in silence, puffing thoughtfully at his pipe.3[intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive] if smoke, steam etc puffs from somewhere, or if something puffs it, it comes out in little clouds: Steam puffed out of the chimney. The boiler was puffing thick black smoke. Don’t puff smoke into my face.4[intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to move in a particular direction, sending out little clouds of steam or smoke: The train puffed steadily across the bridge.puff something ↔ out phrasal verb puff out your cheeks/chest to make your cheeks or chest bigger by filling them with air: Henry puffed out his chest proudly.puff up phrasal verb1to become bigger by increasing the amount of air inside, or to make something bigger in this way: The pastry will puff up while it bakes.puff something ↔ up Birds puff up their feathers to keep warm.2if a part of your body puffs up, it swells painfully because of injury or infection: My eye had puffed up because of a mosquito bite.puff1 verbpuff2 noun
puffpuff2 noun EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- And yesterday the reaction from most was to blow a puff of smoke into the law's face.
- At about a kilometre's range the whales' blow looked like small globular puffs of steam rising off the sea surface.
- In a healthy larynx, the chords vibrate gently, releasing puffs of air that are transformed into the voice.
- It went to the ceiling in corpulent puffs.
- Now and again there was a tiny puff of smoke and the smack of a hand-grenade or a burst of machine-gun fire.
- Roll out puff pastry sheet to enlarge it to a 10-inch square.
- The breezes are like a puff of air on a pinwheel.
- We aimed at the puffs of smoke we saw rising in front and on the left of us.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY He laughed and took a puff on his cigar. The dragon disappeared in a puff of smoke. I was out of puff (=had difficulty breathing).COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
He laughed and took a puff on his cigar. The dragon disappeared in a puff of smoke. I was out of puff (=had difficulty breathing). (=a small amount that comes quickly from something)· There was a puff of white smoke from the man's gun.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· Makes about 19 cream puffs.· Add a little cream puff goodie for dessert and no one will be late for dinner.
NOUN· She kneaded me, all right, she wanted me transformed into puff pastry just like Daddy.· Roll out puff pastry sheet to enlarge it to a 10-inch square.· Lumps of steak pie; livid red meat, clammy puff pastry.· Grand Finale: A stunning Napoleon made with layers of puff pastry, hazelnut mousse, caramelized apples and muscat zabaglione.· Escargot in puff pastry, Maine lobster soup and a 10-ounce prime filet mignon are among the swanky choices.· Cut the puff pastry into 4 equal 5-inch squares.
· Always use a clean powder puff.· His second serve is no longer a powder puff.· Tip a little loose powder into the palm of your hand and pat the powder puff into it.
VERB· He took several puffs and Galvone was careful to keep quiet.· He took another puff and began reading the names of the crews and their ship numbers.· He lit his Havana, took a deep satisfying puff.· Cyril sat on the dock and took a long puff.· I take one puff when offered.· He took such a long puff on his cigarette that he began to cough, his throat burning.· With a flick he lit his cigarette and took a puff.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1[countable] the action of taking the smoke from a cigarette, pipe etc into your lungspuff on/at- Add a little cream puff goodie for dessert and no one will be late for dinner.
- He was courteous, but he did not feed him cream puffs.
- Makes about 19 cream puffs.
- A couple of pudgy joggers were huffing and puffing along the path.
- After all their huffing and puffing, every incumbent was desperate to claim some achievement.
- Before long he was huffing and puffing, his dark neck thrust out at a sharp angle.
- Brian, furious, would huff and puff as Mazzin unceremoniously threw him back down on his bed.
- But however the warning was given, the board, huff and puff as it might, will have to pay attention.
- He huffed and puffed-but failed to shake the growing edifice of evidence stacked up against him.
- He ascends, huffing and puffing, stopping at each landing.
- It was a huffing and puffing.
- Now there's to be a schools painting competition about the bulldozers that can huff and puff and pull the house down.
He laughed and took a puff on his cigar.2[countable] a sudden small movement of wind, air, or smokepuff of smoke/wind/air/steam etc The dragon disappeared in a puff of smoke.3cheese/jam/cream etc puff a piece of light pastry with a soft mixture inside4[uncountable] British English informal your breath: I was out of puff (=had difficulty breathing).5[countable] (also puff piece) a piece of writing or a speech that praises someone too much – used to show disapproval