English word origin

Etymology of pouf

From French pouf, pouff, of imitative origin; compare puff.

3 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary 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 · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗

verb

To make poufy or bouffant.

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

From French pouf, pouff, of imitative origin; compare puff.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Unspecified derivation mentionpouffr

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "uder",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "pouf"
      },
      "expansion": "French pouf"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "pouf",
      "pouf#French"
    ],
    [
      "pouff",
      "pouff#French"
    ],
    [
      "puff",
      "puff#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To make poufy or bouffant."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
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Source etymology 1 · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗

noun

A headdress for women popular in 18th century France. · A high hair style for women consisting of a roll or pad of hair, worn up. · Part of an item of clothing consisting of gathered fabric in a bunch. · A low cushioned seat with no back; a padded footstool.

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

From French pouf, pouff, of imitative origin; compare puff.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Unspecified derivation mentionpouffr

This page abbreviates 5 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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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "uder",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "pouf"
      },
      "expansion": "French pouf"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "pouf",
      "pouf#French"
    ],
    [
      "pouff",
      "pouff#French"
    ],
    [
      "puff",
      "puff#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Welsh",
      "lang_code": "cy",
      "word": "pwff",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A headdress for women popular in 18th century France.",
        "A high hair style for women consisting of a roll or pad of hair, worn up.",
        "Part of an item of clothing consisting of gathered fabric in a bunch.",
        "A low cushioned seat with no back; a padded footstool."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "historical"
      ],
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

intj

Onomatopoeia indicating a cloud of smoke or wind; caused by a deflating object, or a magical disappearance.

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

Imitative.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "intj",
      "glosses": [
        "Onomatopoeia indicating a cloud of smoke or wind; caused by a deflating object, or a magical disappearance."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 1924671
    }
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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 pouf →

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-cG91Zg