stuff

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   Miscellaneous items or objects

   Miscellaneous items or objects; (with possessive) personal effects.

   • What is all that stuff on your bedroom floor? He didn't want his pockets to bulge so he was walking around with all his stuff in his hands.
   • The Bat—they called him the Bat.[…]. He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob, he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the fence couldn't swear he knew his face.
2. 2

   Unspecified things or matters.

   • I had to do some stuff.
3. 3

   The tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object.

   • Near-synonyms: constituents, ingredients; see also Thesaurus:substance
   • The workman on his stuff his skill doth show, / And yet the stuff gives not the man his skill.
   • Pound an onion, warm a spoonful of ghee and throw in the onion, brown it slightly, add your curry stuff, brown this till it smells pleasantly, […]
4. ›+ 22 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      Used as placeholder, usually for material of unknown type or name.

      • Can I have some of that stuff on my ice-cream sundae?
   2. 5

      Narcotic drugs, especially heroin.

      • For some idiotic reason the bureaucrats are more opposed to tea than to stuff.
      • For example, one addict would crack shorts (break and enter cars) and usually obtain just enough stolen goods to buy stuff and get off just before getting sick.
   3. 6

      A medicine or mixture

      A medicine or mixture; a potion.

      • I[…]did compound for her / A certaine ſtuffe, which being tane, would ceaſe / The preſent powre of life[…].
   4. 7

      Refuse or worthless matter

      Refuse or worthless matter; hence, also, foolish or irrational language.

      • Don't give me any of that 'what-about' stuff!
      • Anger would indite / Such woeful stuff as I or Shadwell write.
      • But the Butcher turned nervous, and dressed himself fine, / With yellow kid gloves and a ruff— / Said he felt it exactly like going to dine, / Which the Bellman declared was all "stuff."
   5. 8

      A melted mass of turpentine, tallow, etc., with which the masts, sides, and bottom of a…

      A melted mass of turpentine, tallow, etc., with which the masts, sides, and bottom of a ship are smeared for lubrication.

      • The master, at my earnest solicitation, examined his vessel, and though he prefers the coal tar, yet he told me, there were shells sticking on, and that a very thin coat of stuff, if any, remained.
      • While the ships were placed in ordinary “a thick coat of stuff” was applied to the hulls, and their awnings might be spread or sheds erected to provide some protection from sun and weather.
   6. 9

      Money.

   7. 10

      To fill by packing or crowding something into

      To fill by packing or crowding something into; to cram with something; to load to excess.

      • I'm going to stuff this pillow with feathers.
      • Lest the gods, for sin, / Should with a swelling dropsy stuff thy skin.
   8. 11

      To fill a space with (something) in a compressed manner.

      • He stuffed his clothes into the closet and shut the door.
      • Put them [roses] into a[…] glass, with narrow mouths, stuffing them close together […] and [they] retain[…] smell […][and] colour.
   9. 12

      To fill with seasoning.

      • She stuffed the turkey for Thanksgiving using her secret recipe.
   10. 13

       To load goods into (a container) for transport.

   11. 14

       To sate.

       • I’m stuffed after having eaten all that turkey, mashed potatoes and delicious stuffing.
   12. 15

       To eat, especially in a hearty or greedy manner.

       • She sits on the sofa all day, watching TV and stuffing herself with cream buns.
   13. 16

       To break

       To break; to destroy.

       • He skidded off the road and totally stuffed his brand new car.
   14. 17

       To sexually penetrate.

       • His wife came home early and found him on the couch stuffing the maid.
   15. 18

       Used to contemptuously dismiss or reject something. See also stuff it.

       • Stuff your stupid rules, I'll do what I like.
       • Jenny nodded in sympathy, spotting Ali's new iPod speakers sitting on top of the TV. Simone smiled and coughed. 'He forgot to take them with him. He can stuff it, it was my money.'
   16. 19

       To heavily defeat or get the better of.

       • Mudchester Rovers were stuffed 7–0 in the semi-final.
       • They totally stuffed us in that business deal.
   17. 20

       To cut off another competitor in a race by disturbing his projected and committed racing…

       To cut off another competitor in a race by disturbing his projected and committed racing line (trajectory) by an abrupt manoeuvre.

       • I got stuffed by that guy on the supermoto going into that turn, almost causing us to crash.
   18. 21

       To preserve a dead bird or other animal by filling its skin.

   19. 22

       To obstruct, as any of the organs

       To obstruct, as any of the organs; to affect with some obstruction in the organs of sense or respiration.

       • I'm stuffed, cousin; I cannot smell.
   20. 23

       To form or fashion by packing with the necessary material.

       • An Eastern king put a judge to death for an iniquitous sentence, and ordered his hide to be stuffed into a cushion, and placed upon the tribunal.
   21. 24

       To crowd with facts

       To crowd with facts; to cram the mind of; sometimes, to crowd or fill with false or idle tales or fancies.

   22. 25

       To compress (a file or files) in the StuffIt format, to be unstuffed later.

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