tuft

American  

[tuhft] / tʌft /

noun

tufts plural

1. a bunch or cluster of small, usually soft and flexible parts, as feathers or hairs, attached or fixed closely together at the base and loose at the upper ends.

2. a cluster of short, fluffy threads, used to decorate cloth, as for a bedspread, robe, bath mat, or window curtain.

3. a cluster of cut threads, used as a decorative finish attached to the tying or holding threads of mattresses, quilts, upholstery, etc.

4. a covered or finished button designed for similar use.

5. a cluster of short-stalked flowers, leaves, etc., growing from a common point.

6. a small clump of bushes, trees, etc.

7. a gold tassel on the cap formerly worn at English universities by titled undergraduates.

8. a titled undergraduate at an English university.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to furnish or decorate with a tuft or tufts.

2. to arrange in a tuft or tufts.

3. Upholstery. to draw together (a cushion or the like) by passing a thread through at regular intervals, the depressions thus produced being usually ornamented with tufts or buttons.

verb (used without object)

1. to form into or grow in a tuft or tufts.

tuft British  

/ tʌft /

noun

1. a bunch of feathers, grass, hair, etc, held together at the base

2. a cluster of threads drawn tightly through upholstery, a mattress, a quilt, etc, to secure and strengthen the padding

3. a small clump of trees or bushes

4. (formerly) a gold tassel on the cap worn by titled undergraduates at English universities

5. a person entitled to wear such a tassel

---

verb

1. (tr) to provide or decorate with a tuft or tufts

2. to form or be formed into tufts

3. to secure and strengthen (a mattress, quilt, etc) with tufts

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• tufter
  noun
• tufty
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• tufts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tuft

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, variant of toft(e), from Middle French tofe, toffe, of uncertain origin; English excrescent t as in against

Explanation

A tuft is a clump or a bunch of something soft and feathery, like a fluffy tuft of fur on your puppy's head. Your patchy front lawn might consist of tufts of weeds surrounded by mud, and your teenage brother's attempt at a beard may be nothing more than a little tuft on his chin. The original definition of tuft, "a bunch of soft and flexible things fixed at the base with the upper ends loose," sounds like a bouquet of grass. Experts guess that tuft comes from the Old French touffe, "tuft of hair."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tuft tufts

To investigate, first author Koki Tohara, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at UCSF, used genetically engineered sensor cells placed next to tuft cells under a microscope.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 28, 2026

This revealed that tuft cells were releasing acetylcholine, a signaling molecule typically associated with nerve cells.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 28, 2026

In a separate study in Cell Reports, the team mapped the crystal structure of another group of proteins that is essential in tuft cell lung cancer.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 24, 2025

"He forgot the eyes at first, so we got him a carrot, put the nose on and he put some eyes on and gave it a little hair tuft," she explained.

From BBC ● Jan. 7, 2025

His hair is a black tuft at the very crown of his head.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

All seven members - Maya, Juria, Hinata, Harvey, Cocona, Chisa and Jurin - are dressed in vibrant neon outfits that erupt with tufts of faux fur and intricate belt buckles.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026

In the frosty air, with their starchy beards and extravagant ear tufts, they looked magisterial.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026

In South Korea, a playful green cartoon dinosaur named Dooly, known for the two small tufts of hair on his head, has been a favorite for generations.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 1, 2026

That too is when she will sprout jaunty white tufts on either side of her head — the breeding plumage that gives these cormorants their double-crested name.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 21, 2024

Pax watched as she wove her way between the grass tufts, becoming only flashes of flame and white.

From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker