bluff
- bluff
-
bluff1
adj.
1. good-naturedly direct, blunt, or frank; heartily outspoken: a big, bluff, generous man.
2. presenting a bold and nearly perpendicular front, as a coastline: a bluff, precipitous headland.
3. Naut. (of the bow of a vessel) having a full, blunt form.
n.
4. a cliff, headland, or hill with a broad, steep face.
5. North Dakota, Wisconsin, and the Canadian Prairie Provinces. a clump or grove of trees on a prairie or other generally treeless area.
[
1620-30; perh. < MLG blaff smooth, even, or < MD blaf broad, flat]
Syn. 1. forthright,
open,
honest;
rough,
crude.
See blunt. 2. abrupt,
steep.
bluff2
/bluf/, v.t.
1. to mislead by a display of strength, self-confidence, or the like: He bluffed me into believing that he was a doctor.
2. to gain by bluffing: He bluffed his way into the job.
3. Poker. to deceive by a show of confidence in the strength of one's cards.
v.i.
4. to mislead someone by presenting a bold, strong, or self-confident front: That open face makes it impossible for him to bluff.
n.
5. an act or instance or the practice of bluffing: Her pathetic story was all a bluff to get money from us. His assertive manner is mostly bluff.
6. a person who bluffs; bluffer: That big bluff doesn't have a nickel to his name.
7. call someone's bluff, to expose a person's deception; challenge someone to carry out a threat: He always said he would quit, so we finally called his bluff.
[1665-75; perh. < LG bluffen to bluster, frighten; akin to MD bluffen to make a trick at cards]
Syn. 1. deceive,
fool,
dupe,
delude,
hoodwink.
* * *
Universalium.
2010.
:
Look at other dictionaries:
bluff — bluff … Dictionnaire des rimes
bluff n — bluff v … English expressions
bluff — [ blɶf ] n. m. • 1840; mot angl. amér. 1 ♦ Aux cartes, Attitude destinée à impressionner l adversaire en lui faisant illusion. 2 ♦ (1895) Attitude destinée à en faire accroire, à intimider l adversaire sans en avoir les moyens. ⇒ mensonge,… … Encyclopédie Universelle
Bluff — may refer to: * an expression of self confidence, an empty boastGeography* a very steep and broad hill or small cliff, frequently next to a river or ocean;United States places * Bluffs, Illinois, a village * Bluffs, Indiana, an unincorporated… … Wikipedia
Bluff — Bluff, a. [Cf. OD. blaf flat, broad, blaffaert one with a broad face, also, a boaster; or G. verbl[ u]ffen to confuse, LG. bluffen to frighten; to unknown origin.] 1. Having a broad, flattened front; as, the bluff bows of a ship. Bluff visages.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
bluff — adj Bluff, blunt, brusque, curt, crusty, gruff mean abrupt and unceremonious in speech or manner. Bluff, the only term of the group used in a complimentary sense, connotes outspokenness, rough good nature, and unconventionally which bespeak a… … New Dictionary of Synonyms
bluff — Ⅰ. bluff [1] ► NOUN ▪ an attempt to deceive someone into believing that one can or will do something. ► VERB ▪ try to deceive someone as to one s abilities or intentions. ● call someone s bluff Cf. ↑call someone s bluff … English terms dictionary
Bluff — Bluff, n. 1. A high, steep bank, as by a river or the sea, or beside a ravine or plain; a cliff with a broad face. [1913 Webster] Beach, bluff, and wave, adieu. Whittier. [1913 Webster] 2. An act of bluffing; an expression of self confidence for… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
bluff — s.m.inv. 1. TS giochi in alcuni giochi di carte, spec. nel poker, tattica con cui si cerca di indurre gli avversari a ritirarsi dal gioco facendo credere di avere un gioco superiore a quello effettivo 2. CO estens., il far credere qcs. più… … Dizionario italiano
Bluff — [bluf, blœf] Sm Täuschung erw. fremd. Erkennbar fremd (20. Jh.) Entlehnung. Entlehnt aus ne. bluff, dessen Herkunft nicht zweifelsfrei geklärt ist. Ausgangspunkt für die Entlehnung ist wohl das Kartenspiel Poker, bei dem der Bluff zur Spielpraxis … Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache
Bluff — Bluff: Bluff общепринятое сокращение (обозначение) имени ботаника, которое добавляется к научным (латинским) названиям некоторых таксонов ботанической (бинарной) номенклатуры и указывает на то, что автором этих наименований является… … Википедия
