- a thick flour pudding, often flavoured with currants, citron, etc, and boiled in a cloth bag
- up the duff ⇒ slang pregnant
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024
duff1
(duf ),USA pronunciation n. [Slang.]
duff2 (duf ),USA pronunciation n.
duff3 (duf ),USA pronunciation v.t. [Slang.]
duff4 (duf ),USA pronunciation n.
- Anatomy, Slang Termsthe buttocks or rump:If you don't like the way things are, get off your duff and do something about it!
- expressive word, perh. akin to doup 1885–90
duff2 (duf ),USA pronunciation n.
- Fooda stiff flour pudding, boiled or steamed and often flavored with currants, citron, and spices.
- dialect, dialectal variant (Scots, north, northern England) of dough 1830–40
duff3 (duf ),USA pronunciation v.t. [Slang.]
- Slang Termsto give a deliberately deceptive appearance to;
misrepresent;
fake. - British Terms, Sport(in golf ) to misplay (a golf ball), esp. to misjudge one's swing so that the club strikes the ground behind the ball before hitting it.
- British Terms[Australian.]
- to steal (cattle).
- (formerly) to alter the brand on (stolen cattle).
- to cheat someone.
- back formation from duffer (def. 3) 1830–40
duff4 (duf ),USA pronunciation n.
- Ecologyorganic matter in various stages of decomposition on the floor of the forest.
- Miningfine, dry coal, esp. anthracite.
- 1835–45; origin, originally Scots dialect, dialectal; perh. metaphorical use of duff2, by association with Scots dowf decayed, rotten (see dowf), deaf (of soil) unproductive, springy to the tread
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
duff /dʌf/ n
duff /dʌf/ vb (transitive)
See also duff upEtymology: 19th Century: probably back formation from duffer
- slang to change the appearance of or give a false appearance to (old or stolen goods); fake
- Austral slang to steal (cattle), altering the brand
- Also: sclaff informal to bungle (a shot) by hitting the ground behind the ball
- Brit informal bad or useless, as by not working out or operating correctly; dud
See also duff upEtymology: 19th Century: probably back formation from duffer
'duff' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):