puff of white smoke
1
3.8
- noun
:
bocanada de humo blanco
- When the fireworks exploded, a puff of white smoke lingered in the air.
Examples
-
Jim disappeared as thoroughly as the out-of-play balls had earlier, but with the added touch of a puff of white smoke.
Fiction book (2002) -
Great puffs of white smoke shot out of the smokestacks as the pink sub headed toward shore, toward us, toward home.
Fiction book (1997) -
The red end of a lit cigarette circled behind him, and it moved in rhythm with the laughing lips that emanated puffs of white smoke.
Fiction book (2001) -
As the engine fired up, a puff of white smoke billowed from the exhaust.
-
At the ceremony, a puff of white smoke signaled the announcement of the new pope.
Synonyms
60
3.2
A short puff of air that carries a smell
6
3.6
A small quick cloud of smoke that appears and disappears
How Thick
8
1.9
1
3.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a small, brief burst of white smoke' is directly and transparently derived from the constituents: 'puff' (small light cloud), 'white' (color), and 'smoke' (plume from combustion); the preposition 'of' simply links the noun phrase. This is a straightforward compositional noun phrase pattern common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the component words will readily understand it.
Etymology
Puff of white smoke comes from the clear image of a small, quick cloud of light smoke — a short puff of white smoke from a chimney or engine, or the white smoke released when a new pope is chosen. So, the phrase means 'a small, brief burst of white smoke' and helps you picture something that appears and then fades quickly.