Muff
/mʌf/noun
A soft, usually cylindrical handwarmer or a clumsy mistake.
Did you know?The “mistake” sense of muff is linked to the idea of fumbling with your hands, not to the handwarmer itself, and the word’s exact origin is uncertain—but its meaning drifted into the language of failure and awkwardness.
Etymological Timeline
Late 16th Century
Dutch
mof
“a fur handwarmer or muff”
Late 16th Century
English
muff
“a fur handwarmer used to keep the hands warm”
18th Century
English
muff
“a blunder or bungled performance”
Modern English
English
muff
“a handwarmer; a clumsy mistake”
Explore more surprising origins