Meaning of “puff” in the English Dictionary

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"puff" in English

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puffverb

uk ​ /pʌf/ us ​ /pʌf/

Phrasal verb(s)

puff sth out
puff up
puff sth up

puffnoun

uk ​ /pʌf/ us ​ /pʌf/

Idiom(s)

vanish/go up/disappear in a puff of smoke

(Definition of “puff” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

"puff" in American English

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puffverb

us ​ /pʌf/

puff verb (BREATHE)

› [ I ] to breathe quickly and with a lot of force, usually as a result of an activity that needs a lot of physical effort:

Ricardo was puffing hard after he raced up five flights of stairs.

› [ I ] To puff is also to breathe in and blow out smoke from a cigarette, cigar (= rolled tobacco), or pipe (= device for smoking).

puff verb (SWELL)

› [ I/T ] to swell or increase in size:

[ 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.

puffnoun [ C ]

us ​ /pʌf/

puff noun [ C ] (SMALL BURST)

› a small burst of smoke, air, or something that can rise into the air in a small cloud:

We felt a puff of wind as the door open and closed.

puff noun [ C ] (CAKE)

› a small, round cake or other food, esp. one made from pastry with a filling inside:

a cream puff

puff noun [ C ] (BREATHE)

› an act of puffing out air, often with a soft sound

› A puff is also an act of breathing in and blowing out smoke.

(Definition of “puff” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

"puff" in Business English

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puffnoun [ C ]

uk ​ /pʌf/ us ​ also US puff piece MARKETING

› a piece of writing that praises or advertises a product:

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.

puffverb [ T ]

uk ​ /pʌf/ us ​ MARKETING

› to praise or advertise a product in order to increase sales:

He was at the festival to puff his new movie.

(Definition of “puff” from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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