Fluffs

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /flʌfs/

Definitions

1. To increase the volume or softness of an item by loosening or manipulating its fibers; to create a more appealing texture through ruffling; to execute a task or performance with insufficient skill or effort
2. Raises or loosens fibers to make an object appear fuller and softer ; commits an error or fails to perform well at a task
3. Adds volume and softness by gently separating material strands ; bungles or mishandles an action or duty

Etymology: "Fluffs" is simply the plural (and third-person singular verb form) of "fluff," so the real story lies with the base word. "Fluff" first appeared in English as "floow," a term for woolly down or nap, borrowed from West Flemish "vluwe." Its ultimate origin is uncertain. One possibility is that it derives from French "velu," meaning "hairy," itself from Latin "villūtus," "having shaggy hair," which traces back to "villus," "shaggy hair." Another is that it blends "flue" and "puff," or is simply imitative of the soft, airy quality it describes. The sense of something light and insubstantial came later, as the word moved from wool and lint toward the idea of trivial or empty material. Old English had a related word, "flōh," meaning something flown off or a fragment, which may share a distant link with "flaw."

Synonyms: puffs, fuzz, tufts

Antonyms: compresses