quiff
1 Americannoun
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quiff,
plural
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quiffs
plural
noun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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."
Vocabulary lists containing quiff
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
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
Akoy is dressed in skinny jeans and a roll-neck sweater, with a shaved neck but a big fat quiff.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 15, 2020
Easily Britain’s most recognizable and beloved critic, Mark Kermode is known for his trademark quiff, his encyclopedic knowledge of the horror genre and his infectious passion for cinema.
From New York Times ● Nov. 15, 2019
Tommy came next, with his swagger cane, his jaunty walk, and his cap cocked on one side, shewing a "quiff" beneath.
From The Soul of Susan Yellam by Horace Annesley Vachell
Intriguingly, Lennon and McCartney were the most reluctant to give up their quiffs.
From The Guardian ● May 19, 2020
Glasgow's Lucia walk on stage like they've just arrived from a school production of Grease, sporting pastel suits and slicked-back quiffs.
From BBC ● May 11, 2019
And the coiffures, each individual, were almost all grotesque, with vast, isolated curls and quiffs.
From New York Times ● Sep. 22, 2012
They, like all the girls on the team, had permed hair, blow-dried and feathered up into quiffs standing several inches above their heads.
From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2012
They have long hair which falls across their foreheads and over their eyes so that they can toss their quiffs like Englishmen.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
