puff up
English
A cat puffing up in a threat display.
Verb
puff up (third-person singular simple present puffs up, present participle puffing up, simple past and past participle puffed up)
- (transitive) To inflate with air.
- We puffed up the balloons.
- (transitive, intransitive) To fluff up, such as an animal raising its fur or feathers to appear larger or conserve body heat.
- Small birds puff up while sleeping to keep warm.
- The angry cat hissed and puffed up its fur.
- (intransitive) To swell due to injury or illness.
- My hand puffed up where the cat had scratched me.
- (figurative, intransitive) To become proud. (Often written as puffed up with pride.)
Derived terms
- puffed up
Translations
to inflate with air
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to become fluffy
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to swell due to injury
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to become proud
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