baffle
to confuse, bewilder, or perplex: He was baffled by the technical language of the instructions.
to frustrate or confound; thwart by creating confusion or bewilderment.
to check or deflect the movement of (sound, light, fluids, etc.).
to equip with a baffle or baffles.
Obsolete. to cheat; trick.
to struggle ineffectually, as a ship in a gale.
something that balks, checks, or deflects.
an artificial obstruction for checking or deflecting the flow of gases (as in a boiler), sounds (as in the loudspeaker system of a radio or hi-fi set), light (as in a darkroom), etc.
any boxlike enclosure or flat panel for mounting a loudspeaker.
Origin of baffle
1synonym study For baffle
Other words from baffle
- baf·fle·ment, noun
- baf·fler, noun
- baf·fling, adjective
- baf·fling·ly, adverb
- baf·fling·ness, noun
- un·baf·fling, adjective
- un·baf·fling·ly, adverb
Words Nearby baffle
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use baffle in a sentence
To their surprise, however, one snake “formed its body in a ring around the baffle and then started to wiggle up,” Savidge says.
These snakes wiggle up smooth poles by turning their bodies into ‘lassoes’ | Kate Baggaley | January 13, 2021 | Popular-ScienceOne of these ways involved tests to see whether a wide pipe, or baffle, around a pole could prevent predators from reaching a starling nest box at the top.
Brown tree snakes use their tails as lassos to climb wide trees | Maria Temming | January 11, 2021 | Science NewsWith their help, I’d made progress toward a prototype for my tiny satellites, inventing and testing precision-pointing hardware and software, and perfecting the design of the onboard telescope and its protective baffle.
My satellite would fit in a small suitcase. | Katie McLean | December 18, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewThese baffles “hug” the microphone and block out external noise while focusing on the source and enhancing the quality of final audio, making them an exceptional tool for recording vocals, kick drums, guitar amps and more.
The best recording isolation shields for tracking audio in any space | PopSci Commerce Team | September 25, 2020 | Popular-ScienceThe glass is lined with custom baffles contoured to block daytime glare.
Apple’s ‘most ambitious’ new store is a departure from its signature design | claychandler | September 8, 2020 | Fortune
This hidden Eden continues to baffle geologists with its oculus of volcanic stone.
That decision continues to baffle some law enforcement officials nearly two decades later.
With only two young witnesses, no clear motive, and no identified suspect, the case continues to baffle authorities.
Alps Murder Victims Pasts Probed by Cops | Barbie Latza Nadeau | September 22, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTIt was no good to set broad goals for agencies: those goals tended to contradict each other—or else to baffle the agency itself.
The singer-actress admits the debate continues to offend and baffle her.
It was Carmena, every nerve of her loyal nature on the alert to baffle this pursuer of Alessandro and Ramona.
Ramona | Helen Hunt JacksonWe went from office to office, where everything seemed designed to baffle suitors conducting their own cases.
Reminiscences of Charles Bradlaugh | George W. FooteIts limitless deeps reveal themselves to us, and yet baffle our gaze: close themselves against research, but open to conjecture.
Toilers of the Sea | Victor HugoThanks to the darkness and the water, you baffle the hounds, both animal and human.
The Duty of Disobedience to the Fugitive Slave Act | Lydia Maria ChildBoth could blight the promise of the harvest, baffle the plans of their enemies, or wither the health of their victims.
Witch, Warlock, and Magician | William Henry Davenport Adams
British Dictionary definitions for baffle
/ (ˈbæfəl) /
to perplex; bewilder; puzzle
to frustrate (plans, efforts, etc)
to check, restrain, or regulate (the flow of a fluid or the emission of sound or light)
to provide with a baffle
obsolete to cheat or trick
Also called: baffle board, baffle plate a plate or mechanical device designed to restrain or regulate the flow of a fluid, the emission of light or sound, or the distribution of sound, esp in a loudspeaker or microphone
Origin of baffle
1Derived forms of baffle
- bafflement, noun
- baffler, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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