From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpuffpuff1 /pʌf/ ●○○ verb 1 [intransitive]HBHBREATHE to breathe quickly and with difficulty after the effort of running, carrying something heavy etc George puffed and panted as he tried to keep up.puff along/up etc An old man puffed up to them. He caught up with Gary, puffing for breath. → huff and puff at huff1(1)2 [intransitive, transitive] (also puff away)SMOKE to breathe in and out while smoking a cigarette or pipepuff at/on Kinane sat in silence, puffing thoughtfully at his pipe.3 AIR[intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive] if smoke, steam etc puffs from somewhere, or if something puffs it, it comes out in little clouds Steam puffed out of the chimney. The boiler was puffing thick black smoke. Don’t puff smoke into my face.4 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]TTT to move in a particular direction, sending out little clouds of steam or smoke The train puffed steadily across the bridge. → puff something ↔ out → puff up→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
puff• It was a huffing and puffing.• People such as Safire huffed and puffed about her futures-trading profits, but the matter faded from view.• Eventually, puffing and panting, he arrived at the security gate.• You could see her puffing as she carried the heavy washing basket.• He just goes on past me, puffing away and shoving this trolley thing in front of him.• ""Sorry I'm so late Maxie, '' he said, puffing breathlessly.• With a cry of rage, he puffed on his much-chewed stogie and fired at us.• The father kept his cheeks puffed out because the third oldest burst into giggles every time she looked over at him.• Birdsong drifted through the open window and a breeze puffed out the curtains.• Diminutive body, pink puffed sleeves, dress a criss-cross of black stripes.• factory chimneys puffing smokepuff along/up etc• Ashby recalls his skin puffed up.• Subsequently, the soap became further puffed up.• They lack the sharp spines but are covered with fine prickles that are evident when the puffer puffs up.• The guy was all bristly and red and puffed up, in fatigue pants and a brown shirt.• And within the field, status comes from puffing up racial bragging points.• Her legs look puffed up, rubbery, but they keep moving.• The males responded by puffing up their chests and circling slowly towards each other.• As they obeyed, Mungo could see that the sorcerer's apprentice was a toad, puffed up with fear or pride.puff at/on• He puffed on a joint wrapped in yellow paper.• A grandfatherly figure puffs on a sousaphone to the accompaniment of drums and banjo.• He took such a long puff on his cigarette that he began to cough, his throat burning.• With a cry of rage, he puffed on his much-chewed stogie and fired at us.• Nate looked proud, puffing on his pipe as he told us about his adventure.• He stood in the hallway puffing on it for a few seconds to make sure it was fully alight.• A., clenches his cigarette between his teeth, puffs on it without taking it out of his mouth.• And then he stopped to chant and puff at the pipe.puffpuff2 noun 1 SMOKE[countable] the action of taking the smoke from a cigarette, pipe etc into your lungspuff on/at He laughed and took a puff on his cigar.2 AIR[countable] a sudden small movement of wind, air, or smokepuff of smoke/wind/air/steam etc The dragon disappeared in a puff of smoke.3 → cheese/jam/cream etc puff4 [uncountable] British English informalBREATHE your breath I was out of puff (=had difficulty breathing).5 [countable] (also puff piece) a piece of writing or a speech that praises someone too much – used to show disapprovalExamples from the Corpus
puff• And yesterday the reaction from most was to blow a puff of smoke into the law's face.• The breezes are like a puff of air on a pinwheel.• It went to the ceiling in corpulent puffs.• At about a kilometre's range the whales' blow looked like small globular puffs of steam rising off the sea surface.• Roll out puff pastry sheet to enlarge it to a 10-inch square.• In a healthy larynx, the chords vibrate gently, releasing puffs of air that are transformed into the voice.• We aimed at the puffs of smoke we saw rising in front and on the left of us.• Now and again there was a tiny puff of smoke and the smack of a hand-grenade or a burst of machine-gun fire.took ... puff• With a flick he lit his cigarette and took a puff.• I took a puff once or twice in college.puff of smoke/wind/air/steam etc• A true old devil, Manson vanishes in a puff of smoke.• The breezes are like a puff of air on a pinwheel.• Breaths of flame and puffs of smoke leaping from the surrounding hillsides.• At about a kilometre's range the whales' blow looked like small globular puffs of steam rising off the sea surface.• In a healthy larynx, the chords vibrate gently, releasing puffs of air that are transformed into the voice.• There are no obvious signs of engine wear though a small puff of smoke exhausts following a warm start.• We aimed at the puffs of smoke we saw rising in front and on the left of us.• Now and again there was a tiny puff of smoke and the smack of a hand-grenade or a burst of machine-gun fire.From Longman Business Dictionarypuffpuff /pʌf/ (also puff piece) noun [countable] informalMARKETING an advertisement or other piece of writing in a newspaper etc that strongly praises a productOrigin puff1 Old English pyffan, from the sound 