fuzz

plural fuzzes

1. countableuncountableA frizzy mass of hair or fibre.

   His cheeks were like peaches, with much the same sort of fuzz over them.

   1895, Hamlin Garland, Rose of Dutcher's Coolly, page 352

   1 more example

   Once the eaglets are born—tiny balls of white fuzz—the adult eagles prove that birds can be as protective and solicitous of their young as humans.

   1962 July 28, Richard Petrow, “Last chance to save the Bald Eagle”, in Popular Science, volume 181, number 1, →ISSN, page 192

2. countableuncountableQuality of an image that is unclear; a blurred image.

   ...scientific advances happen more often at the frontier of representation, at the edge of resolution where an image dissolves into fuzz and blur.

   2010, Iain Boyd Whyte, Beyond the Finite: The Sublime in Art and Science, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN

3. countableuncountablecomputingThe random data used in fuzz testing.

   "Fuzz testing" or "fuzzing" is a technique for software testing that provides random data ("fuzz") to the inputs of a program.

   2008, Asoke Talukder, Manish Chaitanya, Architecting Secure Software Systems, Boca Raton: CRC Press, →ISBN, page 94

4. countableuncountableA distorted sound, especially from an electric guitar or other amplified instrument.

   This gives a good soft clipping effect and a good fuzz sound.

   1994, R.A. Penfold, Music Projects, Boston: New Tech, →ISBN, page 33

5. countableuncountableA state of befuddlement.

   So I'm in a fuzz of not knowing what to do

   2016 February 10, Ally, “Signs of an Online Dating Scam”, in Christie Hartman Ph.D., archived from the original on 26 Oct 2016, Comments

   1 more example

   I think I'm in a fuzz, and don't know what I ſay, I never ſaw the like.

   1784, Jonathan Swift, “Journal to Stella”, in The works of the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Swift, page 54

6. countableuncountableFuzziness, vagueness.

present singular third person fuzzes · participle present fuzzing · participle past fuzzed · past fuzzed

1. transitiveTo make fuzzy.
2. intransitiveTo become fuzzy.
3. datedtransitiveTo make drunk.

   Or maybe my mind was just fuzzed with the drink.

   2004, Quintin Jardine, Alarm Call, London: Headline, →ISBN

4. computingTo test a software component by running it on randomly generated input.

   Sulley works by fuzzing the first fuzzable field to be fuzzed. While it is iterating through all the values it wants to try for that field, all the other fields are untouched and remain at their default value.

   2012, Charlie Miller, Dion Blazakis, Dino DaiZovi, iOS Hacker's Handbook, page 172

5. datedintransitiveTo fly off in minute particles with a fizzing sound, like water from hot metal.

1. USslanguncountablewith definite articleThe police, or any law enforcement agency.

   Let's get the hell out of here before the fuzz turns up

   2009, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, 0:26:17

1. misspellingMisspelling of fuss.