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.

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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

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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

As the immune response builds and tuft cells increase in number, they begin producing a slower, sustained release of the same signal.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 28, 2026

These EC cells are known to produce sensations such as nausea, pain, and general gut discomfort, but it was unclear whether they directly interact with tuft 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

White-tailed kites are mostly white with black shoulders; this bird is a deep black with a tuft of white on its chest.

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

There, I met Dan, an affable middle-aged fellow with gray tufts of hair, who was bustling around with a vacuum.

From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026

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

He had only a few cotton-ball tufts of hair on his head, and his staff shook as he plunged it into the ground.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie