Pouff

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A large, soft, upholstered seat without a back or arms, used as a footstool or extra cushion ; a derogatory British slang term for an effeminate or homosexual man
2. A plump padded stool or cushion for sitting or resting feet on ; an offensive British insult aimed at a man seen as effeminate or gay
3. An upholstered cushioned seat with no back, often used as a footrest ; a pejorative British slur directed at effeminate or homosexual men

Etymology: The word "pouff" is simply another spelling of "pouf," the padded, cushioned seat that needs no back or arms. It reached English from French, where "pouf" carries the same sense of a soft, puffed-up cushion. The French word is imitative, meaning it was formed to echo a sound, in this case the soft puff of air or of something swelling and collapsing under pressure. It belongs to the same family as English "puff," which shares that breathy, onomatopoeic quality. That imitative link explains the furniture's shape. A pouf is essentially a stuffed bag that bulges outward when sat upon, which is exactly the kind of object a word for a puff of air would describe. The spelling with a double "f" at the end is the variant most English writers choose when they want to show the word's French origin more clearly.

Synonyms: pouffe, pouf, ottoman, footstool