English word origin

Etymology of muff

Probably from Dutch mof (“muff, mitten”).

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 piece of fur or cloth, usually open at both ends, used to keep the hands warm. · The vulva or vagina; pubic hair around it. · A woman or girl. · A blown cylinder of glass which is afterward flattened out to make a sheet.

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

Probably from Dutch mof (“muff, mitten”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Unspecified derivation mentionmofnl

This page abbreviates 2 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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    {
      "name": "uder",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "nl",
        "3": "mof",
        "4": "",
        "5": "muff, mitten"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch mof (“muff, mitten”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "mof",
      "mof#Dutch"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A piece of fur or cloth, usually open at both ends, used to keep the hands warm.",
        "The vulva or vagina; pubic hair around it.",
        "A woman or girl.",
        "A blown cylinder of glass which is afterward flattened out to make a sheet."
      ],
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

verb

To drop or mishandle (the ball, a catch etc.); to play badly. · To mishandle; to bungle.

noun

A fool, a stupid or poor-spirited person. · An error, a mistake; a failure to hold a ball when once in the hands. · A bird, the whitethroat.

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

Unknown; perhaps a specialised use of Etymology 1, above; or perhaps related to Dutch muffen (“to dote”) and German muffen (“to sulk”).

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "unk",
      "args": {
        "1": "en"
      },
      "expansion": "Unknown"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
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      "muffen",
      "muffen#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "muffen",
      "muffen#German"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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      "glosses": [
        "To drop or mishandle (the ball, a catch etc.); to play badly.",
        "To mishandle; to bungle."
      ],
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    },
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      "glosses": [
        "A fool, a stupid or poor-spirited person.",
        "An error, a mistake; a failure to hold a ball when once in the hands.",
        "A bird, the whitethroat."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial",
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      ],
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}

Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

A muffin. · A term of endearment.

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

Clipping of muffin.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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  ],
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    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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      "glosses": [
        "A muffin.",
        "A term of endearment."
      ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for muff →

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-bXVmZg