What does tuft mean?
Tuft is a compact bundle or cluster of things that grow together, especially grass, hairs, feathers, or wool. It can also refer to a decorative tuft fastened to a cap, wig, garment, or piece of furniture. The noun is useful when shape and texture matter more than the name of the material: a “tuft of reeds” may be taller and looser than a “tuft of grass,” while a “tuft of hair” can be both natural and decorative. As a verb, tuft means to grow into a tuft or to furnish something with one; it is now literary or specialized, whereas the related adjective tufted is common in descriptions of upholstery, textiles, and vegetation. Tuft carries no strong emotional connotation. Its usefulness lies in its vivid specificity: it names a small, dense, often upward-growing cluster while also capturing the social and decorative significance of such clusters.
A small, dense cluster or bundle of grass, hair, feathers, wool, or similar material; also a decorative cluster attached to an object.
"She brushed a loose tuft of hair away from her face."
The word may describe natural growth, hair, feathers, or an ornamental feature such as those found on historic wigs and caps.
To grow or form into a tuft; to furnish something with a tuft.
"Moss tufted across the damp stone wall."
This use is literary or specialized; the adjective tufted is more common in modern descriptions of furniture, fabrics, and plants.
The standard plural is tufts, with no additional inflection.
"Small tufts of grass grew between the paving stones."
In the 17th and 18th centuries, a fashionable gentleman's wig often ended in a conspicuous tuft at the back, turning a small bundle of hair into a mark of style and status.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tuft come from?
The word entered Middle English from Anglo-French toufet, a diminutive of Old French touffe, meaning “tuft” or “bunch.” The French word ultimately reflects a Germanic word associated with a projecting upper part or tuft, with related forms surviving in Dutch top and German Zopf. Its present range of meanings—natural clusters, locks of hair, feathers, and decorative bunches—developed from that original sense of a gathered or projecting bundle.
Related word forms
How tuft is actually used
As a noun, tuft is neutral and can describe both natural growth and deliberate ornament. The verb is literary or specialized and much less common; the related adjective tufted is more usual in descriptions of upholstery, textiles, and vegetation.
Easily confused with tuft
A tuft is a small cluster of hair, grass, feathers, or similar material, whereas tuff is a porous rock formed from compacted volcanic ash.