English

Adjective

chuff ‎(comparative more chuff, superlative most chuff)

1. (Britain) Surly.
2. (Britain, dialect) stupid; churlish

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Wright to this entry?)

Synonyms

• (surly): chuffy
• (swollen): chuffy

Noun

chuff ‎(plural chuffs)

1. A coarse or stupid fellow.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)

Translations

Verb

chuff ‎(third-person singular simple present chuffs, present participle chuffing, simple past and past participle chuffed)

1. (transitive, slang) Purposefully to fail a standardized test in a conspicuous way.

Etymology 2

Onomatopoeic. Compare chug and puff.

Verb

chuff ‎(third-person singular simple present chuffs, present participle chuffing, simple past and past participle chuffed)

1. (intransitive) To make noisy puffing sounds, as of a steam locomotive.
   • 1912, Katherine Mansfield, "The Woman At The Store", Selected Short Stories

     The horses stumbled along, coughing and chuffing.

   • 1928, D. H. Lawrence, Lady Chatterley's Lover

     ... and the small lit up train that chuffed past in the cutting made it seem like real night.

   • 1990, John Updike, Rabbit at Rest

     The pigeons chuff and chortle off in indignant disappointment.

2. (Britain, informal) To break wind.

Translations

Noun

chuff ‎(uncountable)

1. (scriptwriting, uncountable) Superfluous small talk that is free of conflict, offers no character development, description or insight, and does not advance the story or plot.

Etymology 3

1520s, in sense “swollen with fat”; circa 1860, British dialect, in sense “pleased”.^[2] Possibly related to “coarse, stupid, fat-headed” sense.

Adjective

chuff ‎(comparative more chuff, superlative most chuff)

1. (Britain) Pleased.
2. (obsolete) Swollen with fat.
3. (vulgar slang, of cheeks) Swollen.

Derived terms

• (pleased): chuffed

Noun

chuff ‎(plural chuffs)

1. (vulgar slang) The ****.

References

1. ↑ A Dictionary of the English Language Samuel Johnson (W Strahan ‧London, 15 April 1755)
2. 1 2 3 “chuff” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).

• “chuff” at The Septic’s Companion: A British Slang Dictionary