bouffant

bouffant

English

Etymology

French bouffant, from Middle French; present participle of bouffer (“to puff”). Doublet of buffont.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈbuːfɑ̃/
• (US) enPR: bo͞o-fäntʹ, IPA^(key): /buˈfɑːnt/ or enPR: bo͞oʹfänt, IPA^(key): /ˈbufɑːnt/

Adjective

bouffant (comparative more bouffant, superlative most bouffant)

1. Of hair or clothing, full-bodied or puffy; puffed out away from head or body.

   Her bouffant suit made her seem much heavier than her petite figure actually was.

Noun

bouffant (plural bouffants)

1. A puffy, round hairstyle, popular in the mid-to-late 16th century, characterized by hair raised high on the head and usually covering the ears or hanging down on the sides.

Derived terms

• bouffant cap
• bouffant gown
• bouffanty
• buffont (buffant)

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French

Pronunciation

• Audio

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Participle

bouffant

1. present participle of bouffer

Further reading

• “bouffant”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.