To move with a repeated puffing or chugging sound, like a steam engine; to make a chuffing sound.
Imitative word (onomatopoeia) representing the sound of a steam engine or repeated puffing. Became common during the industrial railway age of the 19th century.
The word 'chuff' is forever linked to the Industrial Revolution—as steam engines became commonplace, this onomatopoetic word captured the sound that changed human civilization.
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