muff
a thick, tubular case for the hands, covered with fur or other material, used by women and girls for warmth and as a handbag.
a bungled or clumsy action or performance.
Sports. a failure to hold onto a ball that may reasonably be expected to be caught successfully.
a tuft of feathers on the sides of the head of certain fowls.
Slang: Vulgar. a woman's pubic area.
See under muff glass.
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.
Informal. to bungle; perform clumsily.
Origin of muff
1Other words from muff
- muffy, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use muff in a sentence
This muff from Hunter Safety System does, in fact, come heated, though you can also purchase a model sans extra heat.
Best hand warmers: Block the chill during your favorite winter activities | PopSci Commerce Team | February 10, 2021 | Popular-ScienceIn the first inning, Rodman played third until he had muffed two perfect throws, when Bunny shifted him to the outfield.
The Boy Scouts of Lakeville High | Leslie W. QuirkThe old man thought it was the ball, and he "muffed" the "Umpire's" head with his wash-bord.
A Harvard half-back muffed the ball, and it was Princeton's on Harvard's twenty-yard line.
Brenda, Her School and Her Club | Helen Leah ReedShe tossed a bit of bacon to Pershing who muffed it and retrieved it with only slight damage to the pink roses on the rug.
The Sin of Monsieur Pettipon | Richard Connell
These mishaps must have got on Burketts nerves, for he squarely muffed Thompsons pop fly that any busher could have caught.
Baseball Joe in the World Series | Lester Chadwick
British Dictionary definitions for muff (1 of 2)
/ (mʌf) /
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
Origin of muff
1British Dictionary definitions for muff (2 of 2)
/ (mʌf) /
to perform (an action) awkwardly
(tr) to bungle (a shot, catch, etc) in a game
any unskilful play in a game, esp a dropped catch
any clumsy or bungled action
a bungler
Origin of muff
2Collins 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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