v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Cuffed p. pr. & vb. n. Cuffing. ] [ Cf. Sw. kuffa to knock, push, kufva to check, subdue, and E. cow, v. t. ] 1. To strike; esp., to smite with the palm or flat of the hand; to slap. [ 1913 Webster ]

I swear I'll cuff you, if you strike again. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

They with their quills did all the hurt they could,
And cuffed the tender chickens from their food. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To buffet. “Cuffed by the gale.” Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To fight; to scuffle; to box. [ 1913 Webster ]

While the peers cuff to make the rabble sport. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A blow; esp., a blow with the open hand; a box; a slap. [ 1913 Webster ]

Snatcheth his sword, and fiercely to him flies;
Who well it wards, and quitten cuff with cuff. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

Many a bitter kick and cuff. Hudibras. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Perh. from F. coiffe headdress, hood, or coif; as if the cuff were a cap for the hand. Cf. Coif. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The fold at the end of a sleeve; the part of a sleeve turned back from the hand. [ 1913 Webster ]

He would visit his mistress in a morning gown, band, short cuffs, and a peaked beard. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any ornamental appendage at the wrist, whether attached to the sleeve of the garment or separate; especially, in modern times, such an appendage of starched linen, or a substitute for it of paper, or the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A name for a negro. [ Slang ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A cuff or blow with the fist or hand; (pl.) a fight with the fists; boxing. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. handcops; hand hand + cosp, cops, fetter. The second part was confused with E. cuffs, ] A fastening, consisting of an iron ring around the wrist, usually connected by a chain with one on the other wrist; a manacle; -- usually in the plural. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Handcuffed p. pr. & vb. n. Handcuffing. ] To apply handcuffs to; to manacle. Hay (1754). [ 1913 Webster ]

. A deep flaring cuff. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

adj. with little or no preparation or forethought; unrehearsed; extemporaneous; offhand. his off-the-cuff remarks offended many people; an off-the-cuff toast
Syn. -- ad-lib, extemporaneous, extemporary, extempore, offhand, offhanded, unpremeditated, unrehearsed. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Rough + scuff. ] A rough, coarse fellow; collectively, the lowest class of the people; the rabble; the riffraff. [ Colloq. U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Scuffed; p. pr. & vb. n. Scuffing. ] 1. To cause a blemish on the surface of, by scraping against an object; as, he scuffed his shoe on the ground. [ PJC ]

2. To scrape with one's foot; as, he scuffed the chair leg with his shoe. [ PJC ]

n. [ Cf. D. schoft shoulder, Goth. skuft hair of the head. Cf. Scruff. ] The back part of the neck; the scruff. [ Prov. Eng. ] Ld. Lytton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Scuffed p. pr. & vb. n. Scuffing. ] [ See Scuffle. ] To walk without lifting the feet; to proceed with a scraping or dragging movement; to shuffle. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Scuffled p. pr. & vb. n. Scuffling ] [ Freq. of scuff, v.i.; cf. Sw. skuffa to push, shove, skuff a push, Dan. skuffe a drawer, a shovel, and E. shuffle, shove. See Shove, and cf. Shuffle. ] 1. To strive or struggle with a close grapple; to wrestle in a rough fashion. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence, to strive or contend tumultuously; to struggle confusedly or at haphazard. [ 1913 Webster ]

A gallant man had rather fight to great disadvantage in the field, in an orderly way, than scuffle with an undisciplined rabble. Eikon Basilike. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A rough, haphazard struggle, or trial of strength; a disorderly wrestling at close quarters. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence, a confused contest; a tumultuous struggle for superiority; a fight. [ 1913 Webster ]

The dog leaps upon the serpent, and tears it to pieces; but in the scuffle the cradle happened to be overturned. L'Estrange. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A child's pinafore or bib. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A garden hoe. [ Prov. Eng. ] Halliwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who scuffles. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An agricultural implement resembling a scarifier, but usually lighter. [ 1913 Webster ]