Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Stuff
Stuff
,Noun.
[OF. ]
estoffe
, F. étoffe
; of uncertain origin, perhaps of Teutonic origin and akin to E. stop
, v.t. Cf. Stuff
, Verb.
T.
1.
Material which is to be worked up in any process of manufacture.
For the
stuff
they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much. Ex. xxxvi. 7.
Ambitions should be made of sterner
stuff
. Shakespeare
The workman on his
And yet the
stuff
his skill doth show,And yet the
stuff
gives not the man his skill. Sir J. Davies.
2.
The fundamental material of which anything is made up; elemental part; essence.
Yet do I hold it very
To do no contrived murder.
stuff
o’ the conscienceTo do no contrived murder.
Shakespeare
3.
Woven material not made into garments; fabric of any kind; specifically, any one of various fabrics of wool or worsted; sometimes, worsted fiber.
What
stuff
wilt have a kirtle of? Shakespeare
It [the arras] was of
stuff
and silk mixed, though, superior kinds were of silk exclusively. F. G. Lee.
4.
Furniture; goods; domestic vessels or utensils.
He took away locks, and gave away the king's
stuff
. Hayward.
5.
A medicine or mixture; a potion.
Shak.
6.
Refuse or worthless matter; hence, also, foolish or irrational language; nonsense; trash.
Anger would indite
Such woeful
Such woeful
stuff
as I or Shadwell write. Dryden.
7.
(Naut.)
A melted mass of turpentine, tallow, etc., with which the masts, sides, and bottom of a ship are smeared for lubrication.
Ham. Nav. Encyc.
8.
Paper stock ground ready for use.
☞ When partly ground, called half stuff.
Knight.
Stuff
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Stuffed
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Stuffing
.] 1.
To fill by crowding something into; to cram with something; to load to excess;
as, to
. stuff
a bedtickSometimes this crook drew hazel bought adown,
And
And
stuffed
her apron wide with nuts so brown. Gay.
Lest the gods, for sin,
Should with a swelling dropsy
Should with a swelling dropsy
stuff
thy skin. Dryden.
2.
To thrust or crowd; to press; to pack.
Put roses into a glass with a narrow mouth,
stuffing
them close together . . . and they retain smell and color. Bacon.
3.
To fill by being pressed or packed into.
With inward arms the dire machine they load,
And iron bowels
And iron bowels
stuff
the dark abode. Dryden.
4.
(Cookery)
To fill with a seasoning composition of bread, meat, condiments, etc.;
as, to
. stuff
a turkey5.
To obstruct, as any of the organs; to affect with some obstruction in the organs of sense or respiration.
I'm
stuffed
, cousin; I can not smell. Shakespeare
6.
To fill the skin of, for the purpose of preserving as a specimen; – said of birds or other animals.
7.
To form or fashion by packing with the necessary material.
An Eastern king put a judge to death for an iniquitous sentence, and ordered his hide to be
stuffed
into a cushion, and placed upon the tribunal. Swift.
8.
To crowd with facts; to cram the mind of; sometimes, to crowd or fill with false or idle tales or fancies.
9.
To put fraudulent votes into (a ballot box).
[U. S.]
Stuff
,Verb.
I.
To feed gluttonously; to cram.
Taught harmless man to cram and
stuff
. Swift.
Webster 1828 Edition
Stuff
STUFF
,Noun.
1.
A mass of matter, indefinitely; or a collection of substances; as a heap of dust, of chips or of dross.2.
The matter of which any thing is formed; materials. The carpenter and joiner speak of the stuff with which they build; mechanics pride themselves on having their wares made of good stuff.Time is the stuff which life is made of.
Degrading prose explains his meaning ill, and shows the stuff, and not the workmans skill.
Cesar hath wept; ambition should be made of sterner stuff.
3.
Furniture; goods; domestic vessels in general.He took away locks, and gave away the kings stuff. [Nearly obsolete.]
4.
That which fills any thing.Cleanse the suffd bosom of that perilous stuff that weighs upon the heart.
5.
Essence; elemental part; as the stuff of the conscience.6.
A medicine. [Vulgar.]7.
Cloth; fabrics of the loom; as silk stuffs; woolen stuffs. In this sense the word has a plural. Stuff comprehends all cloths, but it signifies particularly woolen cloth of slight texture for linings.8.
Matter or thing; particularly, that which is trifling or worthless; a very extensive use of the word. Flattery is fulsome stuff; poor poetry is miserable stuff.Anger would indite such woful stuff as I or Shadwell write.
9.
Among seamen, a melted mass of turpentine, tallow, &c. With which the masts, sides and bottom of a ship are smeared.STUFF
,Verb.
T.
1.
To fill; as, to stuff a bedtick.2.
To fill very full; to crowd.This crook drew hazel boughs adown, and stuffd her apron wide with nuts so brown.
3.
To thrust in; to crowd; to press.Put roses into a glass with a narrow mouth, stuffing them close together.
4.
To fill by being put into nay thing.With inward arms the dire machine they load, and iron bowels stuff the dark abode.
5.
To swell or cause to bulge out by putting something in.Stuff me out with straw.
6.
To fill with something improper.For thee I dim these eyes, and stuff this head with all such reading as was never read.
7.
To obstruct, as any of the organs.Im stuffd, cousin; I cannot smell.
8.
To fill meat with seasoning; as, to stuff a leg of veal.9.
To fill the skin of a dead animal for presenting and preserving his form; as, to stuff a bird or a lions skin.10.
To form by filling.An eastern king put a judge to death for an iniquitous sentence, and ordered his hide to be stuffed into a cushion, and placed upon the tribunal.
STUFF
,Verb.
I.
Taught harmless man to cram and stuff.