English word origin

Etymology of chuff

15th century, dialectal, from Middle English chuffe (“a rustic, boor”), in noun sense “stupid fellow”. Adjective sense “surly, displeased” from 1832.

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

A coarse or stupid fellow.

adj

Surly; annoyed; displeased; disgruntled. · stupid; churlish; loutish.

adv

In a chuff manner.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

15th century, dialectal, from Middle English chuffe (“a rustic, boor”), in noun sense “stupid fellow”. Adjective sense “surly, displeased” from 1832.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionchuffeenm · a rustic, boor

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

verb

To make noisy puffing sounds, as of a steam locomotive. · To break wind. · Of a powder, propellant, or explosive charge: to become extinguished and reignited intermittently.

noun

Superfluous small talk that is free of conflict, offers no character development, description or insight, and does not advance the story or plot. · A noisy puffing sound. · A breathy noise produced by a tiger, similar in function to a cat's purr.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Onomatopoeic. Compare chug and puff.

Inspect preserved source fields

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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

The vagina. · The anus.

verb

Used as a replacement for obscenities, particularly fuck.

adj

Pleased, proud. · Swollen with fat. · Chubby.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

1520s, in sense “swollen with fat”; circa 1860, British dialect, in sense “pleased”. Possibly related to “coarse, stupid, fat-headed” sense (see etymology 1 above). Or, perhaps a euphemistic alteration of fuck or another expletive.

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Where this record stops

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Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-Y2h1ZmY