baff

B3A1F4F4
/bæf/

verb

To bark; yelp.

OriginMiddle English baffen →
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Meanings

baff1

verbbaff (third-person singular simple present baffs, present participle baffing, simple past and past participle baffed)

present singular third person baffs · participle present baffing · participle past baffed · past baffed

  1. archaicintransitiveTo bark; yelp.

baff2

verbbaff (third-person singular simple present baffs, present participle baffing, simple past and past participle baffed)

present singular third person baffs · participle present baffing · participle past baffed · past baffed

  1. To hit or strike, especially with something flat or soft.
  2. golfTo strike the ground with the bottom of the club when taking a stroke.

baff3

nounbaff (uncountable)
  1. GeordieScotlanduncountableblank

BAFF4

noun
  1. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of B-cell activating factor.
proper noun
  1. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of British Armed Forces Federation.
  2. abbreviationhistoricalinitialismInitialism of British Air Forces in France.

Baff5

proper noun
  1. A surname

Origin

baff · verb

  1. Middle Englishbaffen“to bark”
  2. Englishbaff

From Middle English baffen (“to bark”). Cognate with Dutch baffen (“to bark”), Low German baffen (“to bark”), German baffen, bäfzen (“to bark”), Danish bjæffe (“to yelp”), Swedish bjäbba (“to yelp, bark”). Compare buff, yaff.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

baff · verb

  1. West Flemishbaf
  2. Scotsbaff
  3. Englishbaff

Probably from Scots baff, beff, bauf, probably from West Flemish baf, baffe (“a blow, slap in the face”). Compare also Old French baffe (“slap in the face”) (Modern French baffe), of imitative origin.

More words from Scots, West Flemish

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with baff

staffhalfgraphcalfaffRAFcafgraffpolygraphcarafetaffchaffgaffstaphgaffenaffcaffdaffwaffelectrocardiographagraffeblock graphcomplete bipartite graphdraff
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

baff. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/baff

MLA

“baff.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/baff. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “baff,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/baff.

Source: baff on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.