<p><strong>Noun</strong></p><ul><li>A short, quick blast, as of wind or breath.</li><li>An abrupt emission of air, smoke, vapor, etc.</li><li>An act of inhaling and exhaling, as on a cigarette or pipe; whiff.</li><li>The sound of an abrupt emission of air, vapor, etc.</li><li>A small quantity of vapor, smoke, etc., emitted at one blast.</li><li>An inflated or distended part of a thing; swelling; protuberance.</li><li>A form of light pastry with a filling of cream, jam, or the like.</li><li>A portion of material gathered and held down at the edges but left full in the middle, as on a sleeve.</li><li>A cylindrical roll of hair.</li><li>A quilted bed covering, usually filled with down.</li><li>A commendation, especially an exaggerated one, of a book, an actor's performance, etc.</li><li>Synonyms: flattery, puffery, exaggeration, overpraise.</li><li>A ball or pad of soft material.</li><li>Puffball.</li><li>Chiefly British Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive; a gay man.</li></ul><p><strong>Verb</strong></p><ul><li>(used without object) To blow with short, quick blasts, as the wind.</li><li>To be emitted in a puff.</li><li>To emit a puff or puffs; breathe quick and hard, as after violent exertion.</li><li>To go with puffing or panting.</li><li>To emit puffs or whiffs of vapor or smoke.</li><li>To move with such puffs: The locomotive puffed into the station.</li><li>To take puffs at a cigar, cigarette, etc.</li><li>To become inflated, distended, or swollen (usually followed by up).</li><li>(especially of an auctioneer's accomplice) To bid on an item at an auction solely to increase the price that the final bidder must pay.</li><li>(used with object) To send forth (air, vapor, etc.) in short, quick blasts.</li><li>To drive or impel by puffing, or with a short, quick blast.</li><li>To extinguish by means of a puff (usually followed by out): to puff a match out.</li><li>To smoke (a cigar, cigarette, etc.).</li><li>To inflate, distend, or swell, especially with air.</li><li>To make fluffy; fluff (often followed by up): to puff up a pillow.</li><li>To inflate with pride, vanity, etc. (often followed by up): Their applause puffed him up.</li><li>To praise unduly or with exaggeration.</li><li>To apply powder to (the cheeks, neck, etc.) with a powder puff.</li><li>To apply (powder) with a powder puff.</li><li>To arrange in puffs, as the hair.</li></ul>