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chuffing

chuffing

1 8.3
A short, sharp puffing sound made by a steam engine or machine
  • noun
  • /ˈtʃʌfɪŋ/
: sonido de chuf
  • She waved to the man, who pulled up his chuffing team and leaned down, sweeping off his battered felt hat as if to hear her better.
  • chuffing engine
  • chuffing noise

Examples

  • The sound of the old steam engine was characterized by its rhythmic chuffing as it made its way down the tracks.

  • The last word had been coughed out, and immediately Rusty's breathing changed to a shallow chuffing.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • "I guess it must not be so bad then," she said, and the snorting and chuffing rose a notch and then fell off abruptly.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • We could hear the chuffing of the train in the distance, signaling its approach to the station.

  • The chuffing noise from the machinery indicated that it was working hard to complete the task.

Synonyms

choo
vschuffing
  • Baby Talk
22 9.9

A short sound that copies a train, often used by children

is an actual mechanical puffing sound, not a playful imitation
chug
vschuffing
15 6.4

A steady, dull sound made by a running engine

is brief and sharp, not a continuous heavy rhythmic engine sound
whuff
vschuffing
1 9.5

A quiet blowing sound like a small puff

is louder and sharper, produced by engines rather than gentle air movement
whuffle
vschuffing
1 9.7

A soft snuffling sound made when an animal or person breathes quietly

is a mechanical short sharp puff and not a gentle breathing snuffle
9.8

A short, low sound made by an engine when the exhaust pushes out air

is sharper in sound and lacks the muffled steady rhythm

How Loud

blast
60 2.7
whoosh
38 4.2
chuffing
1 8.3
puff
26 1.5
breath
76 1.0

Surface Forms

chuffing singular
chuffings plural

Morphology

chuffing = chuff (transparent) = chuff + ing

The noun refers directly to the sound produced by 'to chuff' and is a regular deverbal nominalization.

Etymology

Chuffing as a noun comes from the sound word chuff, which means 'a short puff', like the noise of a steam engine. So chuffing describes the quick 'puffing' sound you hear from trains and other machines.