chuff of the exhaust
- noun
:
sonido de escape
- The old tractor made a steady chuff of the exhaust as it idled in the yard.
Examples
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She could tell the train was getting closer by the distinctive chuff of the exhaust in the distance.
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That was a loud chuff of the exhaust coming from the garage!
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Only the chuff of the exhaust broke the morning silence as the boat started up.
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Listen to the chuff of the exhaust!
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Only the chuff of the exhaust broke the morning silence as the boat started up.
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She could tell the train was getting closer by the distinctive chuff of the exhaust in the distance.
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The old tractor made a steady chuff of the exhaust as it idled in the yard.
Synonyms
1
8.3
A short, sharp puffing sound made by a steam engine or machine
A quiet blowing sound like a small puff
A soft snuffling sound made when an animal or person breathes quietly
How Loud
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'chuff' names a puffing noise and 'exhaust' names the engine outlet, so 'chuff of the exhaust' straightforwardly denotes a puffing sound coming from the exhaust. The phrasing follows a common 'sound/source' noun-of construction, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words should be able to infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
The phrase chuff of the exhaust comes from the image of an engine making a short, soft puff, like a little cough. Here chuff means a small puff and exhaust is where the gas leaves, so the phrase means 'a short, quiet engine sound'.