Definition of: tuft

(tuft) noun
1. A collection or bunch of small, flexible parts, as hair, grass, or feathers, held together at the base.
2. A clump or knot; frequently, a cluster of threads drawn tightly through a quilt, mattress, or upholstery to secure the stuffing.
3. A gold tassel formerly worn by titled undergraduates at Oxford and Cambridge universities; also, a student who wears such a tuft.
—v.t.
1. To separate or form into tufts.
2. To cover or adorn with tufts.
—v.i.
3. To form tufts. [<OF tuffe, prob. <Gmc.]
—tuft′er noun
—tuft′y adjective