stuffing

[ stuhf-ing ]

/ ˈstʌf ɪŋ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR stuffing ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of a person or thing that stuffs.

a material or substance used to stuff something.

seasoned bread crumbs or other filling used to stuff a chicken, turkey, etc., before cooking.

Informal. internal parts; insides: to beat the stuffing out of an opponent.

Nearby words

stuff the ballot box, stuffed, stuffed derma, stuffed shirt, stuffer, stuffing, stuffing and stripping, stuffing box, stuffing nut, stuffy, stuiver

Origin of stuffing

First recorded in 1520–30; stuff + -ing¹

Related forms

un·der·stuff·ing, noun

Definition for stuffing (2 of 2)

stuff

[ stuhf ]

/ stʌf /

noun

the material of which anything is made: a hard, crystalline stuff.

material to be worked upon or to be used in making something: wood, steel, and other stuff for building.

material of some unspecified kind: a cushion filled with some soft stuff.

Chiefly British. woven material or fabric, especially wool.

property, as personal belongings or equipment; things.

something to be swallowed, as food, drink, or medicine.

inward character, qualities, or capabilities: to have good stuff in one.

Informal. action or talk of a particular kind: kid stuff; Cut out the rough stuff.

worthless things or matter: to clean the stuff out of a closet.

worthless or foolish ideas, talk, or writing: a lot of stuff and nonsense.

Sports.

Baseball. the assortment of pitches that a pitcher uses in a game together with the ability to deliver them in the proper manner at the right speed to the desired spot: He saved his best stuff for the tougher hitters in the lineup.
spin or speed imparted to a ball, as by a baseball pitcher, a bowler, or a tennis player: a pitch with plenty of stuff.

Informal. journalistic, literary, artistic, dramatic, musical, or other compositions or performances: Bach composed some splendid stuff.

Informal. one's trade, skill, field, facts, etc.: She knows her stuff.

Slang. any kind of drug, especially an illicit one.

Also called stock. Papermaking. refined and beaten wet pulp ready for spreading on the wire.

verb (used with object)

to fill (a receptacle), especially by packing the contents closely together; cram full.

to fill (an aperture, cavity, etc.) by forcing something into it.

to fill or line with some kind of material as a padding or packing.

to fill or cram (oneself, one's stomach, etc.) with food.

to fill (meat, vegetables, etc.) with seasoned bread crumbs or other savory matter.

to fill the preserved skin of (a dead animal) with material, retaining its natural form and appearance for display.

to put fraudulent votes into (a ballot box).

to thrust or cram (something) into a receptacle, cavity, or the like.

to pack tightly in a confined place; crowd together.

to crowd (a vehicle, room, etc.) with persons.

to clutter or fill (the mind) with facts, details, etc.

(in leather manufacturing) to treat (a skin, hide, etc.) with a composition of tallow and other ingredients.

to stop up or plug; block or choke (usually followed by up).

verb (used without object)

to cram oneself with food; eat gluttonously; gorge.

Origin of stuff

1300–50; (v.) late Middle English stuffen to equip, furnish < Old French estoffer literally, to stuff < Frankish *stopfōn, *stoppōn (see stop); (noun) Middle English < Old French estoffe, derivative of the v.

Related forms

stuff·less, adjectivere·stuff, verb (used with object)un·der·stuff, verb (used with object)un·stuff, verb (used with object)

un·stuffed, adjectivewell-stuffed, adjective

Synonym study

1–3. See matter.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for stuffing

Roll the pork over the stuffing, like a jelly roll, until the seam is facing down and the fat back is on top.
Make Carla Hall’s Roasted Pork Loin With Cranberries|Carla Hall|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Pizzacone tried to solve that problem for busy New Yorkers by stuffing sauce and toppings into a dough cone.
The 21 Worst Food Ideas Ever||September 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He returns to these themes in Nine Inches, a collection of stories that unzips the American dream, and pulls out all the stuffing.
This Week’s Hot Reads: Sept. 2, 2013|Damaris Colhoun|September 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
On the other hand, stuffing a traditional taco into a Dorito shell worked pretty damned well for the chain.
Can This Waffle Save America?|Daniel Gross|August 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Hot Dog History for Joey Chestnut Nothing says American pride like stuffing your face full of hot dogs.
Fireworks Gone Wrong, Super Mario Proposal & More Viral Videos|The Daily Beast Video|July 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Sage, of course, would be very good with fat meat; put onion in the stuffing to make it imitate duck.
A Course of Lectures on the Principles of Domestic Economy and Cookery|Juliet Corson
The moonlight is coming: come out, all of you who care more for scenery than stuffing!
The Coward|Henry Morford
Cut holes in the beef, and put in the stuffing, leaving about half the stuffing to be made into balls.
The American Frugal Housewife|Lydia M. Child
Some fool of a doctor's been stuffing him up with that notion.
Rich Relatives|Compton Mackenzie
As before directed, it is rubbed with oil, and forced through the stuffing of the neck.
How to Stuff Birds and Animals|Aaron A. Warford

British Dictionary definitions for stuffing (1 of 2)

stuffing

/ (ˈstʌfɪŋ) /

noun

the material with which something is stuffed

a mixture of chopped and seasoned ingredients with which poultry, meat, etc, is stuffed before cooking

knock the stuffing out of someone to upset or dishearten someone completely

British Dictionary definitions for stuffing (2 of 2)

stuff

/ (stʌf) /

verb (mainly tr)

to pack or fill completely; cram

(intr) to eat large quantities

to force, shove, or squeezeto stuff money into a pocket

to fill (food such as poultry or tomatoes) with a stuffing

to fill (an animal's skin) with material so as to restore the shape of the live animal

slang to have sexual intercourse with (a woman)

tanning to treat (an animal skin or hide) with grease

US and Canadian to fill (a ballot box) with a large number of fraudulent votes

(in marine transport) to pack (a container)See also stuffing and stripping

slang to ruin, frustrate, or defeat

noun

the raw material or fabric of something

woollen cloth or fabric

any general or unspecified substance or accumulation of objects

stupid or worthless actions, speech, ideas, etc

subject matter, skill, etche knows his stuff

a slang word for money

slang a drug, esp cannabis

British slang a girl or woman considered sexually (esp in the phrase bit of stuff)

do one's stuff informal to do what is expected of one

that's the stuff that is what is needed

Derived Forms

stuffer, noun

Word Origin for stuff

C14: from Old French estoffe, from estoffer to furnish, provide, of Germanic origin; related to Middle High German stopfen to cram full

usage

Sense 6 of this word was formerly considered to be taboo, and it was labelled as such in previous editions of Collins English Dictionary . However, it has now become acceptable in speech, although some older or more conservative people may object to its use

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

Idioms and Phrases with stuffing

stuff

In addition to the idioms beginning with stuff

stuff and nonsense
stuffed shirt
stuff it
stuff one's face
stuff the ballot box

also see:

get stuffed
hot number (stuff)
kid stuff
know one's stuff
strut one's stuff

stuffing

noun

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of stuffing

Related forms

Definition for stuffing (2 of 2)

stuff

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Origin of stuff

Related forms

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for stuffing

British Dictionary definitions for stuffing (1 of 2)

stuffing

noun

British Dictionary definitions for stuffing (2 of 2)

stuff

verb (mainly tr)

noun

Derived Forms

Word Origin for stuff

usage

Idioms and Phrases with stuffing

stuff