Blaff

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A brief burst of air, wind or smoke that arrives suddenly ; to blow or puff out air, wind or smoke in a sharp gust
2. A quick gust or puff of breeze or vapour ; to breathe out or send out a sudden rush of air
3. A short, sharp blast of wind or smoke ; to send out a puff of air or smoke with force

Etymology: "Blaff" arrived in English in the 17th century from Dutch "blaffen", a verb meaning to bark or to yelp. The sense of a sudden burst of wind seems to have grown out of that barking image: a blast of air strikes hard and short, much as a dog's bark does, and the word carries that same quick, sharp punch. The noun and verb forms share the same root, so a speaker of Dutch would have recognised the link to a dog's yap. English kept the Dutch spelling and the short, percussive sound, which makes the word's shape match its meaning.