fluff

[fluhf] /flʌf/
noun
1.
light, downy particles, as of cotton.
2.
a soft, light, downy mass:
a fluff of summer clouds.
3.
something of no consequence:
The book is pure fluff, but fun to read.
4.
an error or blunder, especially an actor's memory lapse in the delivery of lines.
verb (used with object)
5.
to make into fluff; shake or puff out (feathers, hair, etc.) into a fluffy mass (often followed by up):
to fluff up the sofa pillows.
6.
to make a mistake in:
The leading man fluffed his lines.
verb (used without object)
7.
to become fluffy; move, float, or settle down like fluff.
8.
to make a mistake, especially in the delivery of lines by a performer; blunder.
Origin
1780-90; perhaps blend of flue2 and puff
Related forms
fluffer, noun
unfluffed, adjective
Examples from the web for fluff
  • She starts by taking a small handful of fluff, which she molds into a starter ball.
  • Mission and vision statements can end up being nothing more than fluff.
  • There is a kernel to this movie which feels harder and more stubborn than the pleasing, period fluff that enfolds it.
  • Season it with enough salt to make it tasty while you fluff it.
  • It was going to be a fluff piece that complimented her, actually.
  • Political observers tend to dismiss bio pieces as fluff.
  • Pour in rice, using a fork to fluff it, mounding it slightly in center.
  • The piece is pure fluff, utterly forgettable, but everybody listened in rapt silence.
  • Birds fluff their feathers so the wind rushing through their feathers slows down, and consequently makes them less cold.
  • Subsequent testing of the automobile fluff indicated that it contained unacceptable levels of environmental contaminants.
British Dictionary definitions for fluff

fluff

/flʌf/
noun
1.
soft light particles, such as the down or nap of cotton or wool
2.
any light downy substance
3.
an object, matter, etc, of little importance; trifle
4.
(informal) a mistake, esp in speaking or reading lines or performing music
5.
(informal) a young woman (esp in the phrase a bit of fluff)
verb
6.
to make or become soft and puffy by shaking or patting; puff up
7.
(informal) to make a mistake in performing (an action, dramatic speech, music, etc)
Word Origin
C18: perhaps from flue²
Word Origin and History for fluff
n.

"light, feathery stuff," 1790, apparently a variant of floow "wooly substance, down, nap" (1580s), perhaps from Flemish vluwe, from French velu "shaggy, hairy," from Latin vellus "fleece," or Latin villus "tuft of hair" (see velvet). OED suggests fluff as "an imitative modification" of floow, "imitating the action of puffing away some light substance." Slang bit of fluff "young woman" is from 1903. The marshmallow confection Fluff dates to c.1920 in Massachusetts, U.S.

v.

"to shake into a soft mass," 1875, from fluff (n.). Meaning "make a mistake" is from 1884, originally in theater slang. Related: Fluffed; fluffing.

Slang definitions & phrases for fluff

fluff

noun
  1. A girl or young woman •Found in the sense ''female pubic hair, bush, beaver'' by the 1890s: A wan little fluff steals a dress so as to look sweet in the eyes of her boyfriend/ Thanks for the great interview with Cindy Crawford. It brings the word fluff to a new low (1903+)
  2. An oral error, esp one made by an actor, announcer, etc; lapsus linguae: A hell of a fluff, talking about Montezuma's revenge to the president of Mexico (1891+)
  3. A blunder; misplay (1920s+)
verb

: Show me an actor that never fluffed a line

Related Terms

bit of fluff, give someone the fluff