quiff

¹ American  

[kwif] / kwɪf /

noun

Slang.

plural

quiff, quiffs

1. a woman, especially one who is promiscuous.

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quiff ² American  

[kwif] / kwɪf /

noun

British.

1. a lock or curl of hair brought forward over the forehead.

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quiff British  

/ kwɪf /

noun

1. a prominent tuft of hair, esp one brushed up above the forehead

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Etymology

Origin of quiff¹

First recorded in 1920–25; origin uncertain

Origin of quiff²

First recorded in 1885–90; origin uncertain

Explanation

A quiff is a brushed-back curl at the front of a person's head. The Belgian comic character Tintin is instantly recognizable with his blond quiff and his white dog, Snowy. A rockabilly hairstyle features an exaggerated quiff, a kind of cross between a pompadour and a flattop. The style first gained popularity among soldiers in the late 19th century, when the word was coined from unknown sources. Some experts guess at a connection with a regional meaning of quiff, "a puff of tobacco smoke." Others suspect a root shared with the French coiffe, or "hairstyle."

Example Sentences

Look, we know Paramount’s logo is a mighty mountaintop, but was the intent with Capt. Pike’s soaring gray quiff meant to be a brand shoutout?

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 16, 2022

Edward shouted as he caught sight of himself while his brother removed his iconic quiff.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2021

Douglas is 40, with a quiff of reddish-brown hair and his father’s distinctively narrow facial features.

From New York Times • Oct. 19, 2019

The lit cannister of fuel I was holding, known as a drip torch, had a long, looped neck that emitted a jaunty quiff of flame.

From The New Yorker • Aug. 19, 2019

It was as much part of him as his elaborate quiff.

From Mrs. Bindle Some Incidents from the Domestic Life of the Bindles by Jenkins, Hebert