"taffy" meaning in English

See taffy in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈtæ.fi/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-taffy.wav Forms: taffies [plural], toffee [alternative]
Rhymes: -æfi Etymology: Probably related to tafia (“a type of rum”). Head templates: {{en-noun|~}} taffy (countable and uncountable, plural taffies)
  1. (US) A soft, chewy candy made from boiled sugar, molasses, or corn syrup and butter. Tags: US, countable, uncountable Translations (soft, chewy candy): tiratira (Cebuano), toffee (Finnish), caramel mou [masculine] (French), caramels mous [plural] (French), ciągutka [feminine] (Polish), mordoklejka [feminine] (Polish), ири́с (irís) [masculine] (Russian), ири́ска (iríska) [feminine] (Russian), caramelo de melaza [masculine] (Spanish), chicloso [Mexico, masculine] (Spanish), balikutsa (Tagalog), balkutsa (Tagalog)
    Sense id: en-taffy-en-noun-MWxcogD8 Categories (other): American English, English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Polish translations, Sweets Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 45 43 12 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 49 30 22 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 32 38 30 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 35 39 26 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 28 39 33 Disambiguation of Sweets: 62 18 20 Disambiguation of 'soft, chewy candy': 95 3 2
  2. (informal) Flattery. Tags: countable, informal, uncountable Translations (flattery): lichotky [feminine, plural] (Czech), pochlebování [neuter] (Czech)
    Sense id: en-taffy-en-noun-jjm7IVUe Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Cebuano translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Tagalog translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 45 43 12 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 33 48 19 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 30 52 18 Disambiguation of Terms with Cebuano translations: 28 43 28 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 32 38 30 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 35 39 26 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 28 39 33 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 29 44 27 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 28 50 22 Disambiguation of Terms with Tagalog translations: 29 43 28 Disambiguation of 'flattery': 1 99 0
  3. (Mainly UK, usu. derogatory) Welsh person. Tags: countable, uncountable
    Sense id: en-taffy-en-noun-PQnILdms Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Terms with Czech translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Polish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 45 43 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Czech translations: 21 32 47 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 32 38 30 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 35 39 26 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 28 39 33
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: laffy taffy, maple taffy, saltwater taffy, salt water taffy, taffy pull

Inflected forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "laffy taffy"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "maple taffy"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "saltwater taffy"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "salt water taffy"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "taffy pull"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Probably related to tafia (“a type of rum”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "taffies",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "toffee",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "taffy (countable and uncountable, plural taffies)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "45 43 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "49 30 22",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "32 38 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "35 39 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "28 39 33",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "62 18 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Sweets",
          "orig": "en:Sweets",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A soft, chewy candy made from boiled sugar, molasses, or corn syrup and butter."
      ],
      "id": "en-taffy-en-noun-MWxcogD8",
      "links": [
        [
          "candy",
          "candy"
        ],
        [
          "sugar",
          "sugar"
        ],
        [
          "molasses",
          "molasses"
        ],
        [
          "corn syrup",
          "corn syrup"
        ],
        [
          "butter",
          "butter"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US) A soft, chewy candy made from boiled sugar, molasses, or corn syrup and butter."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "95 3 2",
          "code": "ceb",
          "lang": "Cebuano",
          "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
          "word": "tiratira"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 3 2",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
          "word": "toffee"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 3 2",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "caramel mou"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 3 2",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
          "tags": [
            "plural"
          ],
          "word": "caramels mous"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 3 2",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "ciągutka"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 3 2",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "mordoklejka"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 3 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "irís",
          "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ири́с"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 3 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "iríska",
          "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "ири́ска"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 3 2",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "caramelo de melaza"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 3 2",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
          "tags": [
            "Mexico",
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "chicloso"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 3 2",
          "code": "tl",
          "lang": "Tagalog",
          "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
          "word": "balikutsa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 3 2",
          "code": "tl",
          "lang": "Tagalog",
          "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
          "word": "balkutsa"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "45 43 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "33 48 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 52 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "28 43 28",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Cebuano translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "32 38 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "35 39 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "28 39 33",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "29 44 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "28 50 22",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "29 43 28",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Tagalog translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              195,
              200
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1881, Mark Twain, Unfinished Burlesque on Books of Etiquette:",
          "text": "[…] if these statistices should seem to fail to tally with the facts, in places, do not nudge your neighbor, or press your foot upon his toes, or manifest, by any other sign, your awareness that taffy is being distributed.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              12,
              17
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1912, Upton Sinclair, The Machine:",
          "text": "Cut out the taffy. Who's your friend?",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Flattery."
      ],
      "id": "en-taffy-en-noun-jjm7IVUe",
      "links": [
        [
          "Flattery",
          "flattery"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) Flattery."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "informal",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99 0",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "flattery",
          "tags": [
            "feminine",
            "plural"
          ],
          "word": "lichotky"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99 0",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "flattery",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "pochlebování"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "45 43 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 32 47",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Czech translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "32 38 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "35 39 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "28 39 33",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              22,
              27
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "30-03-2013, Rhodri Clark, quoting Louise Pierpoint, “Why there's still mileage in the name 'Taffy'”, in WalesOnline:",
          "text": "\"Some people may find Taffy a bit derogatory but a lot of people are interested in displaying that on their vehicles. That's a way they can express their Welshness. But we haven't sold any plates with combinations of 'boyo'.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Welsh person."
      ],
      "id": "en-taffy-en-noun-PQnILdms",
      "links": [
        [
          "UK",
          "UK"
        ],
        [
          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ],
        [
          "Welsh",
          "Welsh"
        ],
        [
          "person",
          "person"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "Mainly UK; usu. derogatory; Mainly UK; usu. derogatory",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Mainly UK, usu. derogatory) Welsh person."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈtæ.fi/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-taffy.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/bf/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-taffy.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-taffy.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/bf/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-taffy.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-taffy.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-æfi"
    }
  ],
  "word": "taffy"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/æfi",
    "Rhymes:English/æfi/2 syllables",
    "Terms with Cebuano translations",
    "Terms with Czech translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Tagalog translations",
    "en:Sweets"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "laffy taffy"
    },
    {
      "word": "maple taffy"
    },
    {
      "word": "saltwater taffy"
    },
    {
      "word": "salt water taffy"
    },
    {
      "word": "taffy pull"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Probably related to tafia (“a type of rum”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "taffies",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "toffee",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "taffy (countable and uncountable, plural taffies)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A soft, chewy candy made from boiled sugar, molasses, or corn syrup and butter."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "candy",
          "candy"
        ],
        [
          "sugar",
          "sugar"
        ],
        [
          "molasses",
          "molasses"
        ],
        [
          "corn syrup",
          "corn syrup"
        ],
        [
          "butter",
          "butter"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US) A soft, chewy candy made from boiled sugar, molasses, or corn syrup and butter."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              195,
              200
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1881, Mark Twain, Unfinished Burlesque on Books of Etiquette:",
          "text": "[…] if these statistices should seem to fail to tally with the facts, in places, do not nudge your neighbor, or press your foot upon his toes, or manifest, by any other sign, your awareness that taffy is being distributed.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              12,
              17
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1912, Upton Sinclair, The Machine:",
          "text": "Cut out the taffy. Who's your friend?",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Flattery."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Flattery",
          "flattery"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) Flattery."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "informal",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              22,
              27
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "30-03-2013, Rhodri Clark, quoting Louise Pierpoint, “Why there's still mileage in the name 'Taffy'”, in WalesOnline:",
          "text": "\"Some people may find Taffy a bit derogatory but a lot of people are interested in displaying that on their vehicles. That's a way they can express their Welshness. But we haven't sold any plates with combinations of 'boyo'.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Welsh person."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "UK",
          "UK"
        ],
        [
          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ],
        [
          "Welsh",
          "Welsh"
        ],
        [
          "person",
          "person"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "Mainly UK; usu. derogatory; Mainly UK; usu. derogatory",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Mainly UK, usu. derogatory) Welsh person."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈtæ.fi/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-taffy.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/bf/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-taffy.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-taffy.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/bf/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-taffy.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-taffy.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-æfi"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ceb",
      "lang": "Cebuano",
      "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
      "word": "tiratira"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
      "word": "toffee"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "caramel mou"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "caramels mous"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "ciągutka"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "mordoklejka"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "irís",
      "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ири́с"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "iríska",
      "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "ири́ска"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "caramelo de melaza"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
      "tags": [
        "Mexico",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "chicloso"
    },
    {
      "code": "tl",
      "lang": "Tagalog",
      "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
      "word": "balikutsa"
    },
    {
      "code": "tl",
      "lang": "Tagalog",
      "sense": "soft, chewy candy",
      "word": "balkutsa"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "flattery",
      "tags": [
        "feminine",
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "lichotky"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "flattery",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "pochlebování"
    }
  ],
  "word": "taffy"
}

Download raw JSONL data for taffy meaning in English (4.9kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-08-04 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-08-02 using wiktextract (a681f8a and 3c020d2). 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.