Tuft Definition
A cluster of threads drawn tightly through upholstery, a mattress or a quilt, etc., to secure and strengthen the padding.
(historical) A gold tassel on the cap worn by titled undergraduates at English universities.
Origin of Tuft
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Middle English toft(e), from Middle French tofe, toffe 'tuft', from Late Latin (near Vegezio) tufa 'helmet crest', from Germanic (compare Old English ðūf 'tuft', Old Norse þúfa 'mound', Swedish tuva 'tussock, grassy hillock'), from Proto-Germanic *þūbǭ, *þūbaz; akin to Latin tūber 'hump, swelling', Ancient Greek typhē 'cattail (used to stuff beds)'.
From Wiktionary
Middle English probably alteration of Old French tofe from Late Latin tufa helmet crest or of Germanic origin
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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