different between tress vs tuft

English

Etymology

From Middle English tresse, from Old French tresce, of uncertain origin; possibly from Vulgar Latin *trichia, from Ancient Greek ?????? (trikhía, “rope”), from ???? (thríx, “hair”). Compare French tresse, Italian treccia.

Pronunciation

• enPR: tr?s, IPA^(key): /t??s/
• Rhymes: -?s

Noun

tress (plural tresses)

1. A braid, knot, or curl, of hair; a ringlet.
2. A long lock of hair
3. (by extension) A knot or festoon, as of flowers.

Derived terms

• mermaid's tresses
• tressful
• tressy

Translations

Verb

tress (third-person singular simple present tresses, present participle tressing, simple past and past participle tressed)

1. To braid or knot hair.

Anagrams

• RTSes, SERTs, TRSes, rests

English

Etymology

From Middle English tuft, toft, tofte, an alteration of earlier *tuffe (> Modern English tuff), from Old French touffe, tuffe, toffe, tofe (“tuft”) (modern French touffe), from Late Latin tufa (“helmet crest”) (near Vegezio), from Germanic (compare Old English þ?f (“tuft”), Old Norse þúfa (“mound”), Swedish tuva (“tussock; grassy hillock”)), from Proto-Germanic *þ?b? (“tube”), *þ?baz; akin to Latin t?ber (“hump, swelling”), Ancient Greek ????? (t??ph?, “cattail (used to stuff beds)”). Equivalent to tuff.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t?ft/
• Rhymes: -?ft

Noun

tuft (plural tufts)

1. A bunch of feathers, grass or hair, etc., held together at the base.
2. A cluster of threads drawn tightly through upholstery, a mattress or a quilt, etc., to secure and strengthen the padding.
3. A small clump of trees or bushes.
4. (historical) A gold tassel on the cap worn by titled undergraduates at English universities.
5. (historical) A person entitled to wear such a tassel.

Derived terms

• tufthunting
• tufthunter

Translations

Verb

tuft (third-person singular simple present tufts, present participle tufting, simple past and past participle tufted)

1. (transitive) To provide or decorate with a tuft or tufts.
2. (transitive) To form into tufts.
3. (transitive) To secure and strengthen (a mattress, quilt, etc.) with tufts.
4. (intransitive) To be formed into tufts.

Translations