Crossword clues for quiff
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
"curl or lock of hair over the forehead," 1890, originally a style among soldiers, of unknown origin. Perhaps connected with quiff "a puff or whiff of tobacco smoke" (1831, originally Southern U.S.), held to be a variant of whiff (n.).
Wiktionary
Etymology 1 n. A puff or whiff, especially of tobacco smoke. Etymology 2
n. (context regional slang English) A trick or ploy; a stratagem. (from 19th c.) Etymology 3
n. A hairstyle whereby the forelock is brushed and/or gelled upward, often associated with the styles of the 1950s. (from 19th c.) vb. To arrange (the hair) in such a manner. (from 20th c.) Etymology 4
n. 1 (context slang English) A young girl, especially as promiscuous; a prostitute. (from 20th c.) 2 (context slang English) The vulva or vagin
(from 20th c.)
WordNet
n. a prominent forelock (especially one brushed upward from the forehead)
Wikipedia
Quiff (foaled 2 March 2001) is a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. Bred and owned by Khalid Abdulla and trained by Michael Stoute, she was lightly campaigned and ran only six times in three seasons. After finishing fifth on her only appearance as a two-year-old she won on her debut at three in 2004 and then appeared unlucky when beaten in the Ribblesdale Stakes. She then recorded her biggest success when winning the Group One Yorkshire Oaks by eleven lengths. On her fourth and final race as a three-year-old she was narrowly beaten in the St Leger Stakes. Her performnces led to her being rated the best filly of her generation in the world over staying distances. After running poorly on her only start in 2005 she was retired from racing and has had some success as a broodmare.
Usage examples of "quiff".
She fell sprawling in the dust, and the ring rolled away, to be scooped up by a young lad with a quiff of yellow hair.
With his beaklike nose, his straight line of eyebrow, his shallow forehead, and the quiff of hair which protruded over that forehead, the secretary resembled a crow.
Right then, they were favouring it close cropped at the sides and very long over the top and back, with an elaborately curled quiff hanging down over their foreheads.
He had a DA haircut with extended quiff, wore crepe soles and sometimes forgot to lisp.
At the crucial moment I glanced within to observe my jacketless junior partner sprawled, tie undone, on his sofa beside a scrawny ruffian with a quiff of lime-green hair and attired for some reason in a skintight costume involving zebra stripes and many chains and zippers.
Marck thumbed his cap on to the back of his head, showing a quiff of black hair, while his right hand reached gently for his revolver.
He teased a curly lock or two into a bit of a quiff, struck a pose and did the Townshend windmill.
He had affixed small strips of toilet paper to the cuts on his face, and made some attempt to comb his hair forward and up into an extraordinary quiff to cover his bald patches.
He put cylinder oil on his tousled hair and worked at it until he had achieved the ideal coiffure, with an artistic quiff along his forehead.
The fatboy and the smartmouth and the quiff got away from us that day after the movies.