noun

tuft

tuhft

noun

A small bunch of hair, grass, feathers, or similar strands bunched together at the base.

"A tuft of white hair stuck up from the back of his head."

"The bird had a distinctive orange tuft on its crown."

verb

To secure padding in place with stitched clusters of thread, as in a mattress or cushion.

"The upholsterer tufted the headboard to give it a classic buttoned look."

How to Use Tuft

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA small clump of hair, grass, or similar strands sticking up together.

Common pairings

tuft of grass tuft of hair tufted cushion

tufted past tense, tufts plural, Tufts plural, tufts singular

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A _____ of white hair stuck up from the back of his head.

From Old French touffe ("tuft"), related to Old English þūf, going back to a Germanic root also connected to Latin tūber ("lump, swelling").