baffle
pronunciation
How to pronounce baffle in British English:
UK [ˈbæfl]
How to pronounce baffle in American English:
US [ˈbæfl]
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- Noun:
- a flat plate that controls or directs the flow of fluid or energy
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- Verb:
- be a mystery or bewildering to
- hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of
- check the emission of (sound)
Word Origin
- baffle
- baffle: [16] The etymology of baffle is appropriately baffling. Two main candidates have been proposed as a source. The first is the medieval Scots verb bawchill or bauchle, meaning ‘discredit publicly’. This fits in with the way baffle was first used: ‘I will baffull your good name, sound with the trumpet your dishonour, and paint your pictor with the heeles vpward, and beate it in despight of yourselfe’, Churchyardes chippes 1570.The other strand is represented by French bafouer ‘hoodwink, deceive’, which perhaps comes from Old French beffer. This corresponds more closely to the present-day meaning of baffle, and it may well be that there are two distinct words here.
- baffle (v.)
- 1540s, "to disgrace," perhaps a Scottish respelling of bauchle "to disgrace publicly" (especially a perjured knight), which is probably related to French bafouer "to abuse, hoodwink" (16c.), possibly from baf, a natural sound of disgust, like bah (compare German baff machen "to flabbergast"). Meaning "to bewilder, confuse" is from 1640s; that of "to defeat someone's efforts" is from 1670s. Related: Baffled; baffling.
- baffle (n.)
- "shielding device," 1881, from baffle (v.).
Example
- 1. Far more obvious financial questions baffle the majority of people .
- 2. Some english idioms often baffle english learners .
- 3. The industry that should reveal and expose instead tries to contain and baffle , to foil questions and shut down dissent .
- 4. If you can 't dazzle them with your brilliance , baffle them with your bull shit .
- 5. Since then it has done very little except baffle astrophysicists .