duff

Not working properly, or of no use or value.

• This battery is duff.
• They sold me a car with a duff engine.
• We wasted hours following duff advice.

Similar words: faulty, useless, defective, worthless

Opposites: working, useful

Common phrases: duff battery, duff information, duff equipment

A sweet pudding, especially one made with plums or guavas.

• They served guava duff after dinner.
• Her duff came with a rich fruit sauce.
• We tried a slice of duff in the Bahamas.

Similar words: pudding

Common phrases: guava duff, fruit duff, plum duff

A thick sweet food made from flour, often with dried fruit, cooked in steam or boiling water.

• We had plum duff for dessert.
• The cook steamed the duff in a cloth bag.
• She served hot duff with a sweet sauce.

Similar words: pudding

Common phrases: plum duff, steamed duff, boiled duff

A layer of dead leaves and other plant material slowly breaking down on the ground in a forest.

• The forest floor was covered in duff.
• Dry duff can burn beneath the trees.
• The seeds lay in a thick layer of damp duff.

Similar words: forest litter

Common phrases: forest duff, duff layer, dry duff

Coal dust and very small pieces of coal left after larger pieces have been removed.

• Coal duff collected beneath the screen.
• The mine sold duff as cheap fuel.
• They pressed the duff into solid briquettes.

Similar words: coal dust, coal fines

Common phrases: coal duff, duff briquettes

To hit the ground behind a golf ball instead of hitting the ball cleanly.

• Try not to duff this shot.
• I duffed the ball into the rough.
• She kept duffing her shots by hitting the ground first.

Common phrases: duff a shot, duff the ball

To steal cattle, often changing their ownership marks to hide the theft.

• The men planned to duff cattle.
• He duffed several calves and changed their brands.
• They were caught duffing cattle near the border.

Similar words: rustle

Common phrases: duff cattle, duff someone's cattle