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tuft

(tŭft)

1. A short cluster of elongated strands, as of yarn, hair, or grass, attached at the base or growing close together.

2. A dense clump, especially of trees or bushes.

v. tuft·ed, tuft·ing, tufts

v.tr.

1. To furnish or ornament with tufts or a tuft.

2. To pass threads through the layers of (a quilt, mattress, or upholstery), securing the thread ends with a knot or button.

v.intr.

1. To separate or form into tufts.

2. To grow in a tuft.

[Middle English, probably alteration of Old French tofe, from Late Latin tufa, helmet crest, or of Germanic origin.]

tufter n.

tufty adj.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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