- the part of a sleeve nearest the hand, sometimes turned back and decorative
- the part of a gauntlet or glove that extends past the wrist
- US Canadian Austral the turned-up fold at the bottom of some trouser legsAlso called (in Britain and certain other countries): turn-up
- off the cuff ⇒ informal improvised; extemporary
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ˈoff-the-ˈcuff,
adj.
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026- with little or no preparation;
impromptu:off-the-cuff remarks.
cuff1 /kʌf/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
v. [~ + object]
cuff2 /kʌf/USA pronunciation v. [~ + object]
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Clothinga fold or band at the end of a sleeve, serving as a trim:a coffee stain on the right cuff of my shirt.
- Clothingthe turned-up fold at the bottom of a trouser leg:Something had caught on the cuffs of his slacks.
- Usually, cuffs. [plural] handcuffs:The prisoner rubbed his wrists where the cuffs had been.
- Medicinean inflatable wrap placed around the upper arm and used with a device for recording blood pressure.
v. [~ + object]
- to make a cuff on.
- to handcuff:The police cuffed the suspects.
- Idioms, Informal Terms off the cuff, Informal. without preparing;
extemporaneously;
on the spur of the moment:The speaker made a few remarks off the cuff and then began his prepared speech. - on the cuff, [Slang.]on credit.
cuff2 /kʌf/USA pronunciation v. [~ + object]
- to strike, esp. with the open hand.
n. [countable]
- a blow with the open hand.
off-the-cuff
(ôf′ᵺə kuf′, of′-),USA pronunciation adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- with little or no preparation;
extemporaneous;
impromptu:a speaker with a good off-the-cuff delivery.
- 1940–45
cuff1
(kuf ),USA pronunciation n.
v.t.
cuff2 (kuf ),USA pronunciation v.t.
n.
- a fold or band serving as a trimming or finish for the bottom of a sleeve.
- a turned-up fold, as at the bottom of a trouser leg.
- the part of a gauntlet or long glove that extends over the wrist.
- a separate or detachable band or piece of fabric worn about the wrist, inside or outside of the sleeve.
- an elasticized, ribbed, or reinforced band at the top of a sock or stocking.
- a band of leather or other material, wider than a collar, sewed around the outside of the top of a shoe or boot to serve as a trimming or finish.
- a handcuff.
- [Anat.]a bandlike muscle or group of muscles encircling a body part.
- Furniturea horizontal strip of veneer used as an ornament on a leg.
- Medicinean inflatable wrap placed around the upper arm and used in conjunction with a device for recording blood pressure.
- off the cuff, [Informal.]
- extemporaneously;
on the spur of the moment. - Idiomsunofficially or informally:I'm telling you this strictly off the cuff.
- extemporaneously;
- on the cuff, [Slang.]
- with the promise of future payment;
on credit. - without charge;
with no payment expected:He enjoyed his meal the more because it was on the cuff.
- with the promise of future payment;
v.t.
- to make a cuff or cuffs on:to cuff a pair of trousers.
- to put handcuffs on.
- Medieval Latin cuphia coif
- 1350–1400; Middle English cuffe mitten; perh. akin to Old English cuffie cap
cuff2 (kuf ),USA pronunciation v.t.
- to strike with the open hand;
beat;
buffet.
n.
- a blow with the fist or the open hand;
buffet.
- Scandinavian; compare Low German kuffen, Norwegian, Swedish dialect, dialectal kuffa to push, shove
- perh. 1520–30
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
cuff /kʌf/ n
cuff /kʌf/ vb
- (transitive) to strike with an open hand
- a blow of this kind
'off the cuff' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):