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baffle

[ baf-uhl ]
/ ˈbæf əl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR baffle

verb (used with object), baf·fled, baf·fling.

verb (used without object), baf·fled, baf·fling.

to struggle ineffectually, as a ship in a gale.

noun

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Origin of baffle

First recorded in1540–50; 1910–15 for def. 8; perhaps from Scots bauchle “to disgrace, treat with contempt,” equivalent to bauch (see baff) + -le

synonym study for baffle

1. See thwart.

OTHER WORDS FROM baffle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to baffle

mystify, elude, stump, dumbfound, bewilder, faze, befuddle, puzzle, confuse, astound, confound, amaze, daze, embarrass, stun, nonplus, disconcert, disappoint, upset, frustrate

Example sentences from the Web for baffle

British Dictionary definitions for baffle

baffle
/ (ˈbæfəl) /

verb (tr)

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

noun

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

Derived forms of baffle

bafflement, nounbaffler, noun

Word Origin for baffle

C16: perhaps from Scottish dialect bachlen to condemn publicly; perhaps related to French bafouer to disgrace
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