stuff

Definitions

1. 1.Ambitions should be made of sterner stuff. Shak. The workman on his stuff his skill doth show, And yet the stuff gives not the man his skill. Sir J. Davies.
2. 2.The fundamental material of which anything is made up; elemental part; essence. Yet do I hold it very stuff o' the conscience To do no contrived murder. Shak.
3. 3.Woven material not made into garments; fabric of any kind; specifically, any one of various fabrics of wool or worsted; sometimes, worsted fiber. What stuff wilt have a kirtle of Shak. It [the arras] was of stuff and silk mixed, though, superior kinds were of silk exclusively. F. G. Lee.
4. 4.Furniture; goods; domestic vessels or utensils. He took away locks, and gave away the king's stuff. Hayward.
5. 5.A medicine or mixture; a potion. Shak.
6. 6.Refuse or worthless matter; hence, also, foolish or irrational language; nonsense; trash. Anger would indite Such woeful stuff as I or Shadwell write. Dryden.
7. 7.(Naut.) A melted mass of turpentine, tallow, etc., with which the masts, sides, and bottom of a ship are smeared for lubrication. Ham. Nav. Encyc.
8. 8.Paper stock ground ready for use. Note: When partly ground, called half stuff. Knight. Clear stuff. See under Clear. -- Small stuff (Naut.), all kinds of small cordage. Ham. Nav. Encyc. -- Stuff gown, the distinctive garb of a junior barrister; hence, a junior barrister himself. See Silk gown, under Silk.stuff and nonsense. (See def. 6 for stuff) balderdash, twaddle, nonsense, foolishness.
9. 9.To fill by crowding something into; to cram with something; to load to excess; as, to stuff a bedtick. Sometimes this crook drew hazel bought adown, And stuffed her apron wide with nuts so brown. Gay. Lest the gods, for sin, Should with a swelling dropsy stuff thy skin. Dryden.
10. 10.To thrust or crowd; to press; to pack. Put roses into a glass with a narrow mouth, stuffing them close together . . . and they retain smell and color. Bacon.
11. 11.To fill by being pressed or packed into. With inward arms the dire machine they load, And iron bowels stuff the dark abode. Dryden.
12. 12.(Cookery) To fill with a seasoning composition of bread, meat, condiments, etc.; as, to stuff a turkey.
13. 13.To obstruct, as any of the organs; to affect with some obstruction in the organs of sense or respiration. I'm stuffed, cousin; I can not smell. Shak.
14. 14.To fill the skin of, for the purpose of preserving as a specimen; -- said of birds or other animals.
15. 15.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. Swift.
16. 16.To crowd with facts; to cram the mind of; sometimes, to crowd or fill with false or idle tales or fancies.
17. 17.To put fraudulent votes into (a ballot box). [U. S.]
18. 18.To feed gluttonously; to cram. Taught harmless man to cram and stuff. Swift.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Related questions

• What does "stuff" mean?
• What is another word for "stuff"?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is stuff.

• What is ambitions should be made of sterner stuff. Shak. The workman on his stuff his skill doth show, And yet the stuff gives not the man his skill. Sir J. Davies called?
• What is the fundamental material of which anything is made up; elemental part; essence. Yet do I hold it very stuff o' the conscience To do no contrived murder. Shak called?
• What is furniture; goods; domestic vessels or utensils. He took away locks, and gave away the king's stuff. Hayward called?
• What is refuse or worthless matter; hence, also, foolish or irrational language; nonsense; trash. Anger would indite Such woeful stuff as I or Shadwell write. Dryden called?
• What is a melted mass of turpentine, tallow, etc., with which the masts, sides, and bottom of a ship are smeared for lubrication. Ham. Nav. Encyc called?
• What is to thrust or crowd; to press; to pack. Put roses into a glass with a narrow mouth, stuffing them close together . . . and they retain smell and color. Bacon called?
• What is to fill by being pressed or packed into. With inward arms the dire machine they load, And iron bowels stuff the dark abode. Dryden called?
• What is to fill with a seasoning composition of bread, meat, condiments, etc.; as, to stuff a turkey called?
• What is to obstruct, as any of the organs; to affect with some obstruction in the organs of sense or respiration. I'm stuffed, cousin; I can not smell. Shak called?
• What is to fill the skin of, for the purpose of preserving as a specimen; -- said of birds or other animals called?
• What is to crowd with facts; to cram the mind of; sometimes, to crowd or fill with false or idle tales or fancies called?
• What is to put fraudulent votes into (a ballot box). [U. S.] called?
• What is to feed gluttonously; to cram. Taught harmless man to cram and stuff. Swift called?