buffoon
[ buh-foon ]
/ bəˈfun /
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noun
a person who amuses others by tricks, jokes, odd gestures and postures, etc.
a person given to coarse or undignified joking.
a silly or foolish person: He has been shown to be a pompous, incompetent buffoon.
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Origin of buffoon
First recorded in 1540–50; earlier buffon, from French, from Italian buffone, equivalent to buff- (expressive form; compare buffa “puff of breath,” buffare “to puff, puff up one's cheeks”) + -one agent suffix, ultimately from Latin -ōnem, accusative of nominative noun suffix -ō
OTHER WORDS FROM buffoon
buf·foon·er·y [buh-foo-nuh-ree], /bəˈfu nə ri/, nounbuf·foon·ish, adjectiveWords nearby buffoon
Buffett, buffing wheel, bufflehead, buffo, Buffon, buffoon, buffoonery, Buffs, buff stick, buff-tip moth, buff top
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use buffoon in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for buffoon
buffoon
/ (bəˈfuːn) /
noun
a person who amuses others by ridiculous or odd behaviour, jokes, etc
a foolish person
Derived forms of buffoon
buffoonery, nounWord Origin for buffoon
C16: from French bouffon, from Italian buffone, from Medieval Latin būfō, from Latin: toad
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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