muff
[ muhf ]
/ mʌf /
noun
verb (used with object)
Informal. to bungle; handle clumsily: He muffed a good opportunity.
Sports. to fail to hold onto (a ball that may reasonably be expected to be caught successfully); fumble.
verb (used without object)
Informal. to bungle; perform clumsily.
QUIZZES
DON’T VACILLATE! VANQUISH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!
It’d be a real faux pas to miss this quiz on the words from August 3–9, 2020!
Question 1 of 7
What does “vacillate” mean?
Origin of muff
1590–1600; <Dutch mof, earlier moffel, muffel mitten, muff <Old North French moufle<early Medieval Latin muffula, perhaps <Frankish
OTHER WORDS FROM muff
muffy, adjectiveWords nearby muff
muenster, muesli, muesli bar, muezzin, MUF, muff, muff glass, muffin, muffineer, muffin man, muffin stand
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for muff
British Dictionary definitions for muff (1 of 2)
muff1
/ (mʌf) /
noun
an open-ended cylinder of fur or cloth into which the hands are placed for warmth
the tuft on either side of the head of certain fowls
Word Origin for muff
C16: probably from Dutch mof, ultimately from French mouffle muffle 1
British Dictionary definitions for muff (2 of 2)
muff2
/ (mʌf) /
verb
to perform (an action) awkwardly
(tr) to bungle (a shot, catch, etc) in a game
noun
any unskilful play in a game, esp a dropped catch
any clumsy or bungled action
a bungler
Word Origin for muff
C19: of uncertain origin
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