biff

See also: BIFF

English

Etymology

Onomatopoeic.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɪf/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪf

Noun

biff (plural biffs)

1. (informal) A sudden, sharp blow or punch.
   • 1945, C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce:

     "Hit him a biff," said the Big Man.

2. (informal, sports) A wipeout.
3. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) Euphemistic form of bitch.

Derived terms

• biffo

 

Verb

biff (third-person singular simple present biffs, present participle biffing, simple past and past participle biffed)

1. (informal, transitive) To punch or hit.
2. (Atlantic Canada, New Zealand, slang, transitive) To discard; to throw out; to throw away.
3. (informal, sports) To wipe out; to faceplant; to fall.
4. (intransitive) To move quickly.

Interjection

biff

1. The sound of a person being punched or hit.
   • 1989 June 5, The Canberra Times, Australia Capital Territory, page 10, column 2:

     Whap, Biff, Ooooof, Sock, Pow, Zok! Batman is back. Gotham City is again leaving its law and order in the hands of a man who wears plastic underpants over his tights.

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bif/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

biff m (uncountable)

1. Alternative form of bif
   • 2011, “Michto”, performed by Seth Gueko:

     Faire du biff, c’est michto / Mais le biff attire les michtos

     Making moola's cool / But moola attracts gold diggers

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old French boef, via English beef.

Noun

biff m (definite singular biffen, indefinite plural biffer, definite plural biffene)

1. a steak (slice of beef)

References

• “biff” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old French boef, via English beef.

Noun

biff m (definite singular biffen, indefinite plural biffar, definite plural biffane)

1. a steak (slice of beef)

References

• “biff” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from English beef. First attested in 1822.

Noun

biff c

1. a beef steak [since 1822]
2. (colloquial) a large and very muscular person; a beefy guy, a beefcake

   Wow! Vilken biff!

   Wow! What a beefy guy!

Usage notes

False friend with beef, see nötkött.

Declension

Declension of biff
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	biff	biffen	biffar	biffarna
Genitive	biffs	biffens	biffars	biffarnas

Derived terms

• biffig (“beefy, brawny”)

References

• biff in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• biff in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)