Stuff Was Once a Technical Word for Cloth
Stuff is unspecified material or belongings. The word began as a precise term for woven fabric.
Stuff is unspecified material, belongings or subject matter. It started specific and grew vague, which is unusual: Old French *estoffe* meant woven cloth or material for making things, and English generalised it until it could mean almost anything. Few words travel that far toward emptiness while staying in constant use. *Know your stuff* means having genuine competence, and *stuff and nonsense* is a Victorian dismissal.
- Unspecified material. *What is this stuff?*
- Belongings. *Move your stuff.*
- To fill. *Stuff the cushion.*
- Know your stuff — be competent. *He knows his stuff.*
- Old French — *estoffe*, cloth. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | stuff | Stuff. |
| Verb | stuff | Stuff it. |
| Past | stuffed | Stuffed. |
| Noun | stuffing | Stuffing. |
| Adjective | stuffy | Stuffy. |
- Clear your stuff off the table.Belongings.
- Stuff the peppers with rice.Cooking.
- She knows her stuff.Competence.
Stuff phrases
- Know your stuff — genuine expertise
- Stuff and nonsense — a Victorian dismissal
- Strut your stuff — display your ability
- Stuffed shirt — a pompous person
- That's the stuff — approval, meaning exactly right
Old French *estoffe*, woven material or provisions, from *estoffer*, to equip or furnish.
Did stuff once mean cloth?
Yes. Old French estoffe meant woven material, and English broadened it until it could mean almost any substance or possession.
What is a stuffed shirt?
A pompous, self-important person, from the image of a shirt padded out to look impressive with nothing inside.