Making a regular, sharp puffing sound like a steam engine; also, expressing displeasure or rejection (British dialect).
From chuff, originally onomatopoeia for the sound of steam engines, gaining dialectal use for expressing frustration in British English.
The word beautifully captures the sound of Victorian steam engines—'chuffing' appears constantly in railway literature and children's books (think Thomas the Tank Engine). Modern British people use 'chuffing' as a euphemism for a stronger word.
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