puffer

American  

[puhf-er] / ˈpʌf ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that puffs.

2. Also called blowfish, globefish.  any of various fishes of the family Tetraodontidae, capable of inflating the body with water or air until it resembles a globe, the spines in the skin becoming erected: several species contain the potent nerve poison tetrodotoxin.

3. a warm and lightweight jacket, coat, or vest with sections separated by quilted stitching and filled with down or synthetic fibers.

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puffer British  

/ ˈpʌfə /

noun

1. a person or thing that puffs

2. Also called: globefish.  any marine plectognath fish of the family Tetraodontidae, having an elongated spiny body that can be inflated to form a globe

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Etymology

Origin of puffer

First recorded in 1620–30; puff + -er ¹

Example Sentences

“Chuck is failing us all,” said Paul Wisor, grim-faced and wearing a blue puffer jacket, as he stood before the council and a packed room of residents.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

The patch of bus-stop snow that’s turned the color of weak coffee, shared democratically with a pack of teenage boys wearing basketball shorts under their puffer coats.

From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026

The collection also featured brocade capes, puffer jackets and long wool coats with oversized fur cuffs.

From Barron's • Jan. 21, 2026

Thrifted banda puffer jackets hang on the closet wall: Banda Recodo, Banda Machos, El Coyote y su Banda Tierra Santa.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 15, 2025

We stood shoulder to shoulder, close enough that our linked fingers were hidden between the fabric of my pajama pants and her purple puffer jacket.

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken