8  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Puffball  \Puff"ball`\,  n.  (Bot.) 
  A  kind  of  ball-shaped  fungus  ({Lycoperdon  giganteum},  and 
  other  species  of  the  same  genus)  full  of  dustlike  spores  when 
  ripe;  --  called  also  {bullfist},  {bullfice},  {puckfist}, 
  {puff},  and  {puffin}. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Puff  \Puff\,  a. 
  Puffed  up  vain.  [R.]  --Fanshawe. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Puff  \Puff\  (p[u^]f),  n.  [Akin  to  G.  &  Sw  puff  a  blow,  Dan. 
  puf,  D.  pof;  of  imitative  origin.  Cf  {Buffet}.] 
  1.  A  sudden  and  single  emission  of  breath  from  the  mouth; 
  hence  any  sudden  or  short  blast  of  wind;  a  slight  gust;  a 
  whiff.  ``  To  every  puff  of  wind  a  slave.''  --Flatman. 
 
  2.  Anything  light  and  filled  with  air.  Specifically: 
  a  A  puffball. 
  b  a  kind  of  light  pastry. 
  c  A  utensil  of  the  toilet  for  dusting  the  skin  or  hair 
  with  powder. 
 
  3.  An  exaggerated  or  empty  expression  of  praise,  especially 
  one  in  a  public  journal. 
 
  {Puff  adder}.  (Zo["o]l.) 
  a  Any  South  African  viper  belonging  to  {Clotho}  and 
  allied  genera.  They  are  exceedingly  venomous,  and  have 
  the  power  of  greatly  distending  their  bodies  when 
  irritated.  The  common  puff  adder  ({Vipera,  or  Clotho 
  arietans})  is  the  largest  species,  becoming  over  four 
  feet  long.  The  plumed  puff  adder  ({C.  cornuta})  has  a 
  plumelike  appendage  over  each  eye. 
  b  A  North  American  harmless  snake  ({Heterodon 
  platyrrhinos})  which  has  the  power  of  puffing  up  its 
  body.  Called  also  {hog-nose  snake},  {flathead}, 
  {spreading  adder},  and  {blowing  adder}. 
 
  {Puff  bird}  (Zo["o]l.),  any  bird  of  the  genus  {Bucco},  or 
  family  {Bucconid[ae]}.  They  are  small  birds,  usually  with 
  dull-colored  and  loose  plumage,  and  have  twelve  tail 
  feathers.  See  {Barbet} 
  b  . 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Puff  \Puff\,  v.  t. 
  1.  To  drive  with  a  puff,  or  with  puffs. 
 
  The  clearing  north  will  puff  the  clouds  away 
  --Dryden. 
 
  2.  To  repel  with  words  to  blow  at  contemptuously. 
 
  I  puff  the  prostitute  away  --Dryden. 
 
  3.  To  cause  to  swell  or  dilate;  to  inflate;  to  ruffle  with 
  puffs;  --  often  with  up  as  a  bladder  puffed  with  air. 
 
  The  sea  puffed  up  with  winds.  --Shak. 
 
  4.  To  inflate  with  pride,  flattery,  self-esteem,  or  the  like 
  --  often  with  up 
 
  Puffed  up  with  military  success.  --Jowett 
  (Thucyd.  ) 
 
  5.  To  praise  with  exaggeration;  to  flatter;  to  call  public 
  attention  to  by  praises;  to  praise  unduly.  ``  Puffed  with 
  wonderful  skill.''  --Macaulay. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Puff  \Puff\,  v.  i.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Puffed}  (p[u^]ft);  p.  pr  & 
  vb  n.  {Puffing}.]  [Akin  to  G.  puffen  to  pop,  buffet,  puff, 
  D.  poffen  to  pop,  puffen  to  blow,  Sw  puffa  to  push  to  cuff, 
  Dan.  puffe  to  pop,  thump.  See  {Puff},  n.] 
  1.  To  blow  in  puffs,  or  with  short  and  sudden  whiffs. 
 
  2.  To  blow,  as  an  expression  of  scorn;  --  with  at 
 
  It  is  really  to  defy  Heaven  to  puff  at  damnation. 
  --South. 
 
  3.  To  breathe  quick  and  hard,  or  with  puffs,  as  after  violent 
  exertion. 
 
  The  ass  comes  back  again  puffing  and  blowing,  from 
  the  chase.  --L'  Estrange. 
 
  4.  To  swell  with  air;  to  be  dilated  or  inflated.  --Boyle. 
 
  5.  To  breathe  in  a  swelling,  inflated,  or  pompous  manner; 
  hence  to  assume  importance. 
 
  Then  came  brave  Glory  puffing  by  --Herbert. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  puff 
  adj  :  gathered  for  protruding  fullness;  "puff  sleeves"  [syn:  {puffed}] 
  n  1:  a  short  light  gust  of  air  [syn:  {puff  of  air},  {whiff}] 
  2:  a  light  inflated  pastry  or  puff  shell 
  3:  exaggerated  praise  (as  for  promotional  purposes) 
  4:  a  bed  cover  made  of  two  layers  of  cloth  filled  with  stuffing 
  and  stitched  together  [syn:  {quilt},  {comforter}] 
  5:  a  fluffy  pad  for  applying  powder  to  the  skin  [syn:  {powderpuff}] 
  6:  a  slow  inhalation  (as  of  tobacco  smoke);  "he  took  a  puff  on 
  his  pipe";  "he  took  a  drag  on  his  cigarette  and  expelled 
  the  smoke  slowly"  [syn:  {drag},  {pull}] 
  7:  forceful  exhalation  through  the  nose  or  mouth;  "he  gave  his 
  nose  a  loud  blow";  "he  blew  out  all  the  candles  with  a 
  single  puff"  [syn:  {blow}] 
  v  1:  smoke  with  puffs;  "puff  a  cigar" 
  2:  suck  in  or  take  as  of  air;  "draw  a  deep  breath";  draw  on  a 
  cigarette"  [syn:  {drag},  {draw}] 
  3:  breathe  noisily,  as  when  one  is  exhausted;  "The  runners 
  reached  the  finish  line  panting  heavily"  [syn:  {pant},  {gasp}, 
  {heave}] 
  4:  make  proud  or  conceited;  "The  sudden  fame  puffed  her  ego" 
  5:  praise  extravagantly;  "The  critics  puffed  up  this  Brodaway 
  production"  [syn:  {puff  up}] 
  6:  speak  in  a  blustering  or  scornful  manner;  "A  puffing  kind  of 
  man" 
  7:  to  swell  or  cause  to  enlarge,  "Her  faced  puffed  up  from  the 
  drugs"  [syn:  {puff  up},  {blow  up},  {puff  out}] 
  8:  blow  hard  and  loudly  [syn:  {huff},  {chuff}] 
 
  From  Jargon  File  (4.2.3,  23  NOV  2000)  [jargon]: 
 
  puff  vt  To  decompress  data  that  has  been  crunched  by  Huffman 
  coding.  At  least  one  widely  distributed  Huffman  decoder  program  was 
  actually  _named_  `PUFF',  but  these  days  it  is  usually  packaged  with 
  the  encoder.  Oppose  {huff},  see  {inflate}. 
 
 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  puff 
 
    To  decompress  data  that  has  been  crunched  by 
  {Huffman  coding}.  At  least  one  widely  distributed  Huffman 
  decoder  program  was  actually  *named*  "PUFF",  but  these  days  it 
  is  usually  packaged  with  the  encoder. 
 
  Opposite:  {huff}. 
 
  [{Jargon  File}] 
 
  (1996-10-16) 
 
 

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