bluff

See also Bluff

English

Wikipedia

Pronunciation

• IPA: /blʌf/, X-SAMPA: /blVf/
• Rhymes: -ʌf

Etymology 1

From Dutch bluffen (“brag”) or bluf (“bragging”).

Noun

bluff (plural bluffs)

1. An act of bluffing; an expression of self-confidence for the purpose of intimidation; braggadocio; as, that is only bluff, or a bluff.
2. (poker) An attempt to represent yourself as holding a stronger hand than you do.

   John's bet was a bluff, he bet without even so much as a pair.

Translations

act of bluffing

• Bulgarian: блъф (bg) m (blǎf), блъфиране (bg) n (blǎfirane)
• Dutch: bluffen (nl)
• Finnish: harhautus (fi), hämäys (fi), bluffi (fi), bluffaus (fi)
• Russian: блеф (ru) (blef) m 

• Slovene: blefiranje (sl) n, pretvarjanje (sl) n
• Spanish: petate (es) m
• Swedish: bluff (sv) c
• Turkish: blöf (tr)

poker: attempt to represent yourself as holding a stronger hand than you do

• Bulgarian: блъф (bg) m (blǎf)
• Finnish: bluffi (fi)
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: Bluff (de) m

• Russian: блеф (ru) (blef) m 
• Swedish: bluff (sv) c
• Turkish: blöf (tr)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Portuguese: falésia f; blefe

Verb

bluff (third-person singular simple present bluffs, present participle bluffing, simple past and past participle bluffed)

1. To make a bluff.

   John bluffed by betting without even a pair.

2. To scare with a false show of strength.

Translations

to make a bluff

• Bulgarian: блъфирам (bg) (blǎfíram) 
• Czech: blafovat (cs)
• Dutch: bluffen (nl)
• Finnish: hämätä (fi), bluffata (fi)
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can

• Lithuanian: blefuoti (lt)
• Russian: блефовать (ru) (blefovátʹ) 
• Slovene: blefirati (sl), se pretvarjati (sl)
• Swedish: bluffa (sv)
• Turkish: blöf yapmak (tr)

to scare with a false show of strength

• Esperanto: blufi (eo)

Derived terms

• bluffer
• double bluff
• triple bluff
• quadruple bluff
• semi-bluff

Etymology 2

Related to Middle Low German blaff, "smooth".

Noun

bluff (plural bluffs)

1. A high, steep bank, as by a river or the sea, or beside a ravine or plain; a cliff with a broad face.
2. (Canadian Prairies) A small wood or stand of trees, typically poplar or willow.

Translations

high, steep bank

• Bulgarian: отвесен бряг (bg) (otvesen brjag) m 
• Finnish: jyrkänne (fi)

• Russian: утёс (ru) (utjós) m , обрыв (ru) (obrýv) m , отвесный берег (ru) (otvésnyj béreg) m 
• Slovene: pečina (sl) f

Adjective

bluff (comparative bluffer, superlative bluffest)

1. Having a broad, flattened front; as, the bluff bows of a ship.
2. Rising steeply with a flat or rounded front.
3. Surly; churlish; gruff; rough.
   • 1883: Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island

     ...he had a bluff, rough-and-ready face, all roughened and reddened and lined in his long travels.

4. Abrupt; roughly frank; unceremonious; blunt; brusque; as, a bluff answer; a bluff manner of talking; a bluff sea captain.

Translations

having a broad, flattened front

• Finnish: tylppä (fi)

rising steeply with a flat or rounded front

• Bulgarian: отвесен (bg) (otvesen), стръмен (bg) (strǎmen)
• Finnish: jyrkkä (fi)

• Russian: отвесный (ru) (otvésnyj) , обрывистый (ru) (obrývistyj) 

surly; churlish; gruff; rough

• Bulgarian: груб (bg) (grub), безцеремонен (bg) (bezceremonen)
• Finnish: jäyhä (fi)

• Russian: грубый (ru) (grúbyj) , резкий (ru) (rézkij) , бесцеремонный (ru) (besceremónnyj) 

abrupt; roughly frank; unceremonious; blunt; brusque

• Bulgarian: открит (bg) (otkrit), откровен (bg) (otkroven)
• Finnish: jäyhä (fi)

• Russian: прямой (ru) (prjamój) , открытый (ru) (otkrýtyj) , откровенный (ru) (otkrovénnyj) 

References

• “bluff” in the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, Second Edition, Oxford University Press, 2004.

External links

• Bluff in the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica.

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Danish

Alternative forms

• bluf

Etymology

Borrowing from English bluff.

Noun

bluff n

1. bluff

Related terms

• bluffe
• bluffer
• bluffmager
• blufmager

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French

Etymology

Borrowing from English bluff.

Noun

bluff m (plural bluffs)

1. (chiefly card games) bluff

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Swedish

Etymology

Borrowing from English bluff.

Noun

bluff c

1. a bluff

Declension

Declension of bluff

	singular		plural
Common	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	bluff	bluffen	bluffar	bluffarna
genitive	bluffs	bluffens	bluffars	bluffarnas

Related terms

• bluffa
• bluffare
• bluffmakare