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noun

muff

muhf

Muff (noun) means a tube-shaped covering, often fur, that both hands are tucked into for warmth. Example: “She kept her hands warm inside a fur muff.”

noun
1
A tube-shaped covering, often fur, that both hands are tucked into for warmth.
"She kept her hands warm inside a fur muff."
"Victorian ladies often carried a muff in winter."
verb
1
To fumble or fail at something, especially to drop a catch or mishandle a task.
"He muffed the easy catch in the outfield."
"She muffed her lines during the opening scene."

How to use muff

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA warm hand-covering — or, as a verb, to bungle or drop something you should have caught.

Common pairings
fur muff muff a catch muff it up

Word forms

muffed past tense, muffs plural, muffs plural, muffs plural, Muffs plural, muffs singular

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She kept her hands warm inside a fur _____.

Etymology

Probably from Dutch mof, meaning "muff" or "mitten."

Origin: Dutch

whiskers beard muff and beard:

Related words

Rhymes for muff

See all rhymes for muff →

Frequently asked questions

What does “muff” mean?

The word “muff” means a tube-shaped covering, often fur, that both hands are tucked into for warmth. In plain terms, a warm hand-covering — or, as a verb, to bungle or drop something you should have caught.

How do you pronounce “muff”?

“Muff” is pronounced muhf (/mʌf/ in IPA).

How do you use “muff” in a sentence?

Here is “muff” used in a sentence: “She kept her hands warm inside a fur muff.”

What is another word for “muff”?

Words with a similar meaning to “muff” include whiskers, beard and muff and beard:.

What part of speech is “muff”?

Depending on how it is used, “muff” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “muff” come from?

The word “muff” comes from Dutch. Probably from Dutch mof, meaning "muff" or "mitten.".

How many meanings does “muff” have?

“Muff” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a tube-shaped covering, often fur, that both hands are tucked into for warmth.

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