- [countable] the lower end of a coat or shirt sleeve at the wrist
- a collar and cuffs of white lace
- cuffs[plural] (informal) handcuffs (= a pair of metal rings joined by a chain, used for holding the wrists of a prisoner together)
- (North American English) (British English turn-up)[countable] the bottom of the leg of a pair of trousers that has been folded over on the outside
- [countable] a light hit with an open hand
- to give somebody a friendly cuff
Word Originnoun senses 1 to 3 late Middle English (denoting a glove or mitten): of unknown origin. noun sense 4 mid 16th cent.: of unknown origin.
Idioms
See cuff in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionaryoff the cuff
- (of speaking, remarks, etc.) without previous thought or preparation
- I'm just speaking off the cuff here—I haven't seen the results yet.
- an off-the-cuff remark
Check pronunciation:
cuff