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daff

Pronunciation: /dæf/

The English word “daff” has 6 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. A fool; an idiot; a blockhead.
  2. A preparation of gypsum once used to adulterate food products.

verb

  1. To be foolish; make sport; play; toy.
  2. To daunt.
  3. To toss (aside); to dismiss.
  4. To turn (someone) aside; divert.

Etymology

From Middle English daf, daffe (“fool, idiot”), from Old Norse daufr (“deaf, stupid”), from Proto-Germanic *daubaz (“deaf, stunned”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ- (“to whisk, whirl, smoke, be obscure”). Doublet of deaf, dof, and dowf. Cognate with Swedish döv (“deaf”), Danish døv (“deaf, stupid”). More at deaf.

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