26984 words

puffs

18 definitions • 19 examples
1
to breathe fast and with difficulty, usually because you have been exercising:

Examples:

He came puffing up the stairs.
[ + speech ] "I ran all the way home," she puffed (= said while puffing).
2
to breathe fast and with difficulty, usually because you have been exercising
3

Examples:

She was puffing on a cigarette at the time.
He sat there, puffing away at a cigarette.
4
to blow out in clouds, or make steam or smoke do this:

Examples:

The engine puffed a huge cloud of steam, then rolled down the tracks.
The chimney was puffing out clouds of smoke.
5
a small amount of smoke, air, or something that can rise into the air in a small cloud:

Examples:

Sean blew a puff of smoke at his reflection in the mirror.
He hit the ground with his stick and a puff of dust rose up into the air.
6
a piece of food made of puff pastry filled with something sweet or with food such as cheese:

Examples:

cheese puffs
7
a piece of writing or speech that praises something too much
8
to be breathing with difficulty because you have been doing physical exercise
9
an act of smoking:

Examples:

She took a puff on her cigarette and thought for a moment.
10
to breathe quickly and with a lot of force, usually as a result of an activity that needs a lot of physical effort:

Examples:

Ricardo was puffing hard after he raced up five flights of stairs.
11
To puff is also to breathe in and blow out smoke from a cigarette, cigar (= rolled tobacco), or pipe (= device for smoking).
12
to swell or increase in size:

Examples:

[ T ] One eye was puffed and her cheek was bruised dark as a coal smear.
[ T ] The child held a deep breath and puffed her cheeks until they turned red.
13
a small burst of smoke, air, or something that can rise into the air in a small cloud:

Examples:

We felt a puff of wind as the door open and closed.
14
a small, round cake or other food, esp. one made from pastry with a filling inside:

Examples:

15
an act of puffing out air, often with a soft sound
16
A puff is also an act of breathing in and blowing out smoke.
17
a piece of writing that praises or advertises a product:

Examples:

They asked me to write a puff for her latest book.
a puff (piece) on sth He's gone to New York to do a puff piece on a starlet.
18

Examples:

He was at the festival to puff his new movie.

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