Puff, puf, v.i. to blow in puffs or whiffs: to swell or fill with air: to breathe with vehemence: to blow at, in contempt: to bustle about.—v.t. to drive with a puff: to swell with a wind: to praise in exaggerated terms.—n. a sudden, forcible breath: a sudden blast of wind: a gust or whiff: a fungus ball containing dust: anything light and porous, or swollen and light: a kind of light pastry: a part of a fabric gathered up so as to be left full in the middle: a light ball or pad for dusting powder on the skin, &c.: an exaggerated expression of praise.—ns. Puff′-add′er, a large, venomous African serpent; Puff′-ball, a dried fungus, ball-shaped and full of dust; Puff′-bird, a South American bird resembling the kingfisher in form, but living on insects; Puff′-box, a box for holding powder for the toilet, and a puff for applying it.—adj. Puffed, gathered up into rounded ridges, as a sleeve.—ns. Puff′er, one who puffs: one who raises the prices at an auction in order to excite the eagerness of the bidders to the advantage of the seller; Puff′ery, puffing or extravagant praise.—adv. Puff′ily.—ns. Puff′iness, state of being puffy or turgid: intumescence; Puff′ing, the act of praising extravagantly.—adv. Puff′ingly.—n. Puff′-paste, a short flaky paste for pastry.—adj. Puff′y, puffed out with air or any soft matter: tumid: bombastic: coming in puffs.—Puff up (B.), to inflate. [Imit.; cf. Ger. puffen, &c.]
Puffin, puf′in, n. a water-fowl having a short, thick, projecting beak like that of a parrot: a puff-ball.
Pug, pug, n. a monkey: a fox: a small kind of dog: any small animal (in familiarity or contempt).—n. Pug′-dog, a small, short-haired dog with wrinkled face, upturned nose, and short tail.—adjs. Pug′-faced, monkey-faced; Pug′ging (Shak.), thieving—a misprint for prigging.—n. Pug′-nose (sometimes abbrev. pug), a short, thick nose with the tip turned up. [Puck.]
Pug, pug, n. clay ground and worked with water.—v.t. to grind with water and make plastic: to line spaces between floors with mortar, felt, or other deafening.—ns. Pug′ging, beating or punching, esp. the working of clay for making bricks, in a pug-mill: (archit.) clay, sawdust, plaster, &c. put between floors to deaden sound; Pug′-mill, a machine for mixing and tempering clay. [Prov. Eng. pug, to strike. Cf. Poke.]
Pugh, pōō, interj. of contempt or disdain. [Imit.]
Pugilism, pū′jil-izm, n. the art of boxing or fighting with the fists, esp. in the prize-ring.—ns. Pū′gil, a pinch; Pū′gilist, one who fights with his fists.—adj. Pūgilist′ic. [L. pugil, a boxer.]
Pugnacious, pug-nā′shus, adj. fond of fighting: combative: quarrelsome.—adv. Pugnā′ciously.—n. Pugnac′ity, readiness or inclination to fight: fondness for fighting: quarrelsomeness. [L. pugnax, pugnacis, fond of fighting—pugnāre, to fight.]
Pugree, pug′rē, n. a light scarf worn round the hat to keep off the sun.—Also Pug′gree, Pug′gery, Pug′aree. [Hind. pagrī, a turban.]
Puisne, pū′ne, adj. (law) younger or inferior in rank, applied to certain judges in England. [O. Fr. (Fr. puiné), from puis—L. post, after, né, pa.p. of naître—L. nasci, natus, to be born.]
Puissant, pū′is-ant, adj. potent or powerful: strong: forcible.—n. Pū′issance, power, strength, force.—adv. Pū′issantly.—n. Pū′issantness. [Fr., (It. possente)—L. potens, powerful, modified by the influence of L. posse, to be able.]