baffle

English

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈbæfl̩/, /ˈbæfəl/, [ˈbæfəɫ], X-SAMPA: /b{fl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æfəl

Noun

baffle (plural baffles)

1. A device used to dampen the effects of such things as sound, light, or fluid. Specifically, a baffle is a surface which is placed inside an open area to inhibit direct motion from one part to another, without preventing motion altogether.

   Tanker trucks use baffles to keep the liquids inside from sloshing around.

2. An architectural feature designed to confuse enemies or make them vulnerable.

Translations

regulating device

• Finnish: vaimennin (fi)
• Russian: дефлектор (ru) (defléktor) m, (разделительная) перегородка (ru) (peregoródka) f

Verb

baffle (third-person singular simple present baffles, present participle baffling, simple past and past participle baffled)

1. To bewilder completely; confuse or perplex.

   I am baffled by the contradictions and omissions in the instructions.

2. (obsolete) To practice deceit.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Barrow to this entry?)

3. (intransitive) To struggle against in vain.

   A ship baffles with the winds.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:confuse

Translations

totally bewilder; confuse or perplex

• Bulgarian: обърквам (bg) (obǎrkvam), разстройвам (bg) (razstrojvam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 迷惑 (cmn) (míhuò), 使困惑 (cmn) (shǐ kùnhuò)

• Dutch: schot (nl)
• Finnish: olla ymmällään (fi), olla sekaisin (fi), hämmennyttää (fi), hämmentää (fi)
• French: déconcerter (fr), dérouter (fr)
• German: verblüffen (de), verdutzen (de)
• Italian: sconcertare (it)

• Japanese: 間誤付かせる (ja) (まごつかせる, magotsukaseru)
• Norwegian: skvalpeskott (no), forvirre (no)
• Polish: wprawiać w zakłopotanie (pl)
• Portuguese: desconcertar (pt)
• Russian: озадачивать (ru) (ozadáčivatʹ) impf., озадачить (ru) (ozadáčitʹ) pf., сбивать с толку (ru) (sbivátʹ s tólku) impf., сбить с толку (ru) (sbitʹ s tólku) pf.
• Spanish: desconcertar (es), confundir (es)
• Swedish: gäcka (sv), förvirra (sv), förbrylla (sv)

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French

Pronunciation

• IPA: /bafl/

Noun

baffle m (plural baffles)

1. speaker (audio)