fuzz

¹ American  

[fuhz] / fʌz /

noun

1. loose, light, fibrous, or fluffy matter.

2. a mass or coating of such matter.

   the fuzz on a peach.

3. Slang. a man's very short haircut, similar to a crew cut.

4. a blur.

   That photo is all fuzz.

5. a distorted sound from an electric musical instrument, especially a guitar, produced by means of an electronic device.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. to make or become blurred or unclear (sometimes followed by up orout ).

   He fuzzed up the plot line with a lot of emotional nonsense. The image fuzzed and then disappeared.

fuzz ² American  

[fuhz] / fʌz /

noun

Older Slang.

plural

fuzz, fuzzes

1. Usually the fuzz the police; police officers collectively.

   The fuzz were called by a neighbor and three policeman showed up.

2. a police officer or detective.

   Fuzzes caught the burglar trying to escape through the back alley.

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fuzz ¹ British  

/ fʌz /

noun

1. a mass or covering of fine or curly hairs, fibres, etc

2. a blur

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verb

1. to make or become fuzzy

2. to make or become indistinct; blur

fuzz ² British  

/ fʌz /

noun

1. a slang word for police policeman

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Etymology

Origin of fuzz¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; origin uncertain; perhaps a back formation from fuzzy ( def. ); compare Dutch voos “spongy, woolly”

Origin of fuzz²

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25; of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

Removing graduation years from the education section of your résumé is another way to fuzz up your career length.

From The Wall Street Journal

Jones and Corden explained that the idea was for the tape to play and just as viewers brace for the big reveal, the footage fuzzes out and jams.

From BBC

Mixed in the crowd were young applicants with peach fuzz and older men and women, hair streaked with gray.

From Los Angeles Times

Charles narrates the film in a calm voice tinged with the comforting fuzz of an old recording.

From Los Angeles Times

The music still puts catchy vocal hooks over chunky guitar fuzz, though the LP also includes a laid-back rap-rock collab with Wiz Khalifa and a pretty credible country tune in the wistful “Deserve You.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• lint