noun
muff
muhf
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 notesIn 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."