1. A short light gust of air
   "A puff of air extinguished the candle flame";
   - puff of air, whiff
    
2. Forceful exhalation through the nose or mouth
   "he blew out all the candles with a single puff";
   - blow
    
3. A slow inhalation (as of tobacco smoke)
   "he took a puff on his pipe";
   - drag [informal], pull
    
4. A light inflated pastry or puff shell
   "The cream puffs were filled with vanilla custard"
    
5. A soft spherical object made from fluffy fibers; for applying powder to the skin
   "She used a puff to apply a light dusting of face powder";
   - powderpuff
    
6. Exaggerated praise (as for promotional purposes)
   "The movie review was more of a puff piece than an honest critique"
    
7. Bedding made of two layers of cloth filled with stuffing and stitched together
   "She snuggled under the warm patchwork puff";
   - quilt, comforter, comfort
    
8. Thick cushion used as a seat
   "She curled up on the puff with a good book";
   - ottoman, pouf, pouffe [Brit], hassock

1. Blow hard and loudly
   "he huffed and puffed as he made his way up the mountain";
   - huff, chuff
    
2. Breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
   "The runners reached the finish line, puffing heavily";
   - pant, gasp, heave
    
3. Smoke and exhale strongly
   "puff a cigar";
   - whiff
    
4. Inhale smoke from a cigarette, pipe, etc.
   "He puffd on his cigarette";
   - drag, draw
    
5. To swell or cause to enlarge
   "Her faced puffed up from the drugs"; "puffed out chests";
   - puff up, blow up, puff out
    
6. Expand abnormally
   "the mole was puffing up";
   - swell, swell up, intumesce, tumefy, tumesce
    
7. Praise extravagantly
   "The critics puffed up this Broadway production";
   - puff up
    
8. Make proud or conceited
   "The sudden fame puffed her ego"
    
9. Speak in a blustering or scornful manner
   "A puffing kind of man"

1. Gathered for protruding fullness
   "puff sleeves";
   - puffed

Derived forms: puffs, puffed, puffing

See also: fancy

Type of: aspiration, bed clothing, bedclothes, bedding, blast, blow, bluster, boast, brag, breathe in, breathing in, breathing out, elate, exhalation, expand, expiration, gas [informal], gasconade [archaic], good word, gust, inhalation, inhale, inspiration, inspire, intake, intoxicate, lift up, pad, pastry, pick up, praise, recommendation, seat, shoot a line [informal], skite [Austral, NZ, informal], smoke, swash [archaic], testimonial, uplift, vaunt

Part of: smoke, smoking

Encyclopedia: Puff, the magic dragon