"biff" meaning in English

See biff in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Interjection

IPA: /bɪf/ Audio: En-au-biff.ogg [Australia]
Rhymes: -ɪf Etymology: Onomatopoeic.
  1. The sound of a person being punched or hit.
    Sense id: en-biff-en-intj-v4rUD4Fv

Noun

IPA: /bɪf/ Audio: En-au-biff.ogg [Australia] Forms: biffs [plural]
Rhymes: -ɪf Etymology: Onomatopoeic. Head templates: {{en-noun}} biff (plural biffs)
  1. (informal) A sudden, sharp blow or punch. Tags: informal
    Sense id: en-biff-en-noun-k0VUYTIM
  2. (informal, sports) A wipeout. Tags: informal
    Sense id: en-biff-en-noun-C~8R2VUQ Categories (other): Sports, English entries with incorrect language header, Violence Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 4 1 24 3 26 29 6 6 Disambiguation of Violence: 5 3 10 8 17 20 18 18 Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: biffo

Verb

IPA: /bɪf/ Audio: En-au-biff.ogg [Australia] Forms: biffs [present, singular, third-person], biffing [participle, present], biffed [participle, past], biffed [past]
Rhymes: -ɪf Etymology: Onomatopoeic. Head templates: {{en-verb}} biff (third-person singular simple present biffs, present participle biffing, simple past and past participle biffed)
  1. (informal, transitive) To punch or hit. Tags: informal, transitive
    Sense id: en-biff-en-verb-RbQ1g~KC Categories (other): Hit Disambiguation of Hit: 23 0 11 38 20 8 0 0
  2. (Atlantic Canada, New Zealand, slang, transitive) To discard; to throw out; to throw away. Tags: Atlantic-Canada, New-Zealand, slang, transitive
    Sense id: en-biff-en-verb-w3Dj8SHx Categories (other): Atlantic Canadian English, New Zealand English, English entries with incorrect language header, English onomatopoeias, Pages with entries, Violence Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 4 1 24 3 26 29 6 6 Disambiguation of English onomatopoeias: 3 2 20 4 29 23 10 10 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 1 0 8 1 11 8 2 2 20 21 21 0 1 0 1 Disambiguation of Violence: 5 3 10 8 17 20 18 18
  3. (informal, sports) To wipe out; to faceplant; to fall. Tags: informal
    Sense id: en-biff-en-verb-AhGECWTn Categories (other): Sports, English entries with incorrect language header, Violence Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 4 1 24 3 26 29 6 6 Disambiguation of Violence: 5 3 10 8 17 20 18 18 Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports
  4. (informal) To mess up. Tags: informal
    Sense id: en-biff-en-verb-JXbW7OfA Categories (other): Violence Disambiguation of Violence: 5 3 10 8 17 20 18 18
  5. (intransitive) To move quickly. Tags: intransitive
    Sense id: en-biff-en-verb-pgJ~t90H Categories (other): Violence Disambiguation of Violence: 5 3 10 8 17 20 18 18

Inflected forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "biffo"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Onomatopoeic.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "biffs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "biff (plural biffs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              11,
              15
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1945, C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce:",
          "text": "\"Hit him a biff,\" said the Big Man.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A sudden, sharp blow or punch."
      ],
      "id": "en-biff-en-noun-k0VUYTIM",
      "links": [
        [
          "sudden",
          "sudden"
        ],
        [
          "sharp",
          "sharp"
        ],
        [
          "blow",
          "blow"
        ],
        [
          "punch",
          "punch"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) A sudden, sharp blow or punch."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Sports",
          "orig": "en:Sports",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 1 24 3 26 29 6 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 3 10 8 17 20 18 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Violence",
          "orig": "en:Violence",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A wipeout."
      ],
      "id": "en-biff-en-noun-C~8R2VUQ",
      "links": [
        [
          "sports",
          "sports"
        ],
        [
          "wipeout",
          "wipeout"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal, sports) A wipeout."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/bɪf/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-biff.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0d/En-au-biff.ogg/En-au-biff.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/En-au-biff.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪf"
    }
  ],
  "word": "biff"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "Onomatopoeic.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "biffs",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "biffing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "biffed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "biffed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "biff (third-person singular simple present biffs, present participle biffing, simple past and past participle biffed)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "23 0 11 38 20 8 0 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Hit",
          "orig": "en:Hit",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              39,
              43
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1911, ‘Steel Rudd’, The Book of Dan, Brisbane: University of Queensland Press, published 1970, page 79:",
          "text": "‘But ’twas Fitzgerald who was goin’ to biff Malone, man, can’t you understand?’ old Tom interrupted.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To punch or hit."
      ],
      "id": "en-biff-en-verb-RbQ1g~KC",
      "links": [
        [
          "punch",
          "punch"
        ],
        [
          "hit",
          "hit"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal, transitive) To punch or hit."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Atlantic Canadian English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "New Zealand English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 1 24 3 26 29 6 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "3 2 20 4 29 23 10 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English onomatopoeias",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "1 0 8 1 11 8 2 2 20 21 21 0 1 0 1",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 3 10 8 17 20 18 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Violence",
          "orig": "en:Violence",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To discard; to throw out; to throw away."
      ],
      "id": "en-biff-en-verb-w3Dj8SHx",
      "links": [
        [
          "discard",
          "discard"
        ],
        [
          "throw out",
          "throw out"
        ],
        [
          "throw away",
          "throw away"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Atlantic Canada, New Zealand, slang, transitive) To discard; to throw out; to throw away."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Atlantic-Canada",
        "New-Zealand",
        "slang",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Sports",
          "orig": "en:Sports",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 1 24 3 26 29 6 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 3 10 8 17 20 18 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Violence",
          "orig": "en:Violence",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To wipe out; to faceplant; to fall."
      ],
      "id": "en-biff-en-verb-AhGECWTn",
      "links": [
        [
          "sports",
          "sports"
        ],
        [
          "wipe out",
          "wipe out"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal, sports) To wipe out; to faceplant; to fall."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "5 3 10 8 17 20 18 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Violence",
          "orig": "en:Violence",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To mess up."
      ],
      "id": "en-biff-en-verb-JXbW7OfA",
      "links": [
        [
          "mess up",
          "mess up"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) To mess up."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "5 3 10 8 17 20 18 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Violence",
          "orig": "en:Violence",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To move quickly."
      ],
      "id": "en-biff-en-verb-pgJ~t90H",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To move quickly."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/bɪf/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-biff.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0d/En-au-biff.ogg/En-au-biff.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/En-au-biff.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪf"
    }
  ],
  "word": "biff"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "Onomatopoeic.",
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "intj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              6,
              10
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1989 June 5, The Canberra Times, Australia Capital Territory, page 10, column 2:",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The sound of a person being punched or hit."
      ],
      "id": "en-biff-en-intj-v4rUD4Fv"
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/bɪf/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-biff.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0d/En-au-biff.ogg/En-au-biff.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/En-au-biff.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪf"
    }
  ],
  "word": "biff"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English onomatopoeias",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 5 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɪf",
    "Rhymes:English/ɪf/1 syllable",
    "en:Hit",
    "en:Violence"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "biffo"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Onomatopoeic.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "biffs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "biff (plural biffs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              11,
              15
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1945, C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce:",
          "text": "\"Hit him a biff,\" said the Big Man.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A sudden, sharp blow or punch."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sudden",
          "sudden"
        ],
        [
          "sharp",
          "sharp"
        ],
        [
          "blow",
          "blow"
        ],
        [
          "punch",
          "punch"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) A sudden, sharp blow or punch."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms",
        "en:Sports"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A wipeout."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sports",
          "sports"
        ],
        [
          "wipeout",
          "wipeout"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal, sports) A wipeout."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/bɪf/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-biff.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0d/En-au-biff.ogg/En-au-biff.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/En-au-biff.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪf"
    }
  ],
  "word": "biff"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English onomatopoeias",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 5 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɪf",
    "Rhymes:English/ɪf/1 syllable",
    "en:Hit",
    "en:Violence"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Onomatopoeic.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "biffs",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "biffing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "biffed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "biffed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "biff (third-person singular simple present biffs, present participle biffing, simple past and past participle biffed)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              39,
              43
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1911, ‘Steel Rudd’, The Book of Dan, Brisbane: University of Queensland Press, published 1970, page 79:",
          "text": "‘But ’twas Fitzgerald who was goin’ to biff Malone, man, can’t you understand?’ old Tom interrupted.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To punch or hit."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "punch",
          "punch"
        ],
        [
          "hit",
          "hit"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal, transitive) To punch or hit."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Atlantic Canadian English",
        "English slang",
        "English transitive verbs",
        "New Zealand English"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To discard; to throw out; to throw away."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "discard",
          "discard"
        ],
        [
          "throw out",
          "throw out"
        ],
        [
          "throw away",
          "throw away"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Atlantic Canada, New Zealand, slang, transitive) To discard; to throw out; to throw away."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Atlantic-Canada",
        "New-Zealand",
        "slang",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms",
        "en:Sports"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To wipe out; to faceplant; to fall."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sports",
          "sports"
        ],
        [
          "wipe out",
          "wipe out"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal, sports) To wipe out; to faceplant; to fall."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To mess up."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "mess up",
          "mess up"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) To mess up."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To move quickly."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To move quickly."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/bɪf/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-biff.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0d/En-au-biff.ogg/En-au-biff.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/En-au-biff.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪf"
    }
  ],
  "word": "biff"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English onomatopoeias",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 5 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɪf",
    "Rhymes:English/ɪf/1 syllable",
    "en:Hit",
    "en:Violence"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Onomatopoeic.",
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "intj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              6,
              10
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1989 June 5, The Canberra Times, Australia Capital Territory, page 10, column 2:",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The sound of a person being punched or hit."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/bɪf/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-biff.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0d/En-au-biff.ogg/En-au-biff.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/En-au-biff.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪf"
    }
  ],
  "word": "biff"
}

Download raw JSONL data for biff meaning in English (5.5kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-09-09 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (ccec6f1 and 4deed51). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.