Etymograph

English

muff

Muff may come from Dutch mof ‘muff, mitten’.

  1. Dutchc. 1500–presentmof1‘muff, mitten’uncertain
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1907muff1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English muff
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1907, Robert William Chambers, New York: “Selwyn, sitting up rumpled and cross-legged on the floor,…”.

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Dutchc. 1500–presentmofWiktionary, English muff‘muff, mitten’uncertain
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1907muffWiktionary, English muff. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1907, Robert William Chambers, New York: “Selwyn, sitting up rumpled and cross-legged on the floor,…”

Linked words

through Medieval Latin muffula

camouflage, camo, 1 more

Today it means

noun A piece of fur or cloth, usually open at both ends, used to keep the hands warm.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “muff”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Dutch mof / muff

Shirt and support for this word