tuft: Meaning and Definition of

tuft

Pronunciation: (tuft), [key]
— n.
  1. a bunch or cluster of small, usually soft and flexible parts, as feathers or hairs, attached or fixed closely together at the base and loose at the upper ends.
  2. a cluster of short, fluffy threads, used to decorate cloth, as for a bedspread, robe, bath mat, or window curtain.
  3. a cluster of cut threads, used as a decorative finish attached to the tying or holding threads of mattresses, quilts, upholstery, etc.
  4. a covered or finished button designed for similar use.
  5. a cluster of short-stalked flowers, leaves, etc., growing from a common point.
  6. a small clump of bushes, trees, etc.
  7. a gold tassel on the cap formerly worn at English universities by titled undergraduates.
  8. a titled undergraduateat an English university.
—v.t.
  1. to furnish or decorate with a tuft or tufts.
  2. to arrange in a tuft or tufts.
  3. to draw together (a cushion or the like) by passing a thread through at regular intervals, the depressions thus produced being usually ornamented with tufts or buttons.
—v.i.
  1. to form into or grow in a tuft or tufts.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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