puffing

English

Verb

puffing

1. present participle and gerund of puff
2. (US) Leaving a car engine running unattended, especially in cold weather to warm it up.
   • 2011 December 6, TRI-102.5 Staff, “‘Puffing’ is Illegal in Colorado (Warming Up Your Car Unattended)”, in TRI-102.5‎:

     It's called "puffing," when drivers start their car and then leave it unattended while running.

Noun

puffing (plural puffings)

1. The act of one who puffs.

   the puffings and pantings of a man running to catch a train

2. A puffy ornament.
   • 1825, The Ladies' Monthly Museum, volume 21, page 50:

     Evening dresses are trimmed in a variety of ways, with puffings of crape, fringes, and ornaments, of the richest patterns […]

3. (law) An opinion or judgment, often made by the seller of property to a potential buyer, that is not made as a representation of fact.

Related terms

• puffery