A clump or bunch of hair, grass, feathers, or other threads held or growing together; to create tufts or secure something with stitches at intervals.
From Old French 'toffe,' possibly from a Germanic source. The word has been used since medieval times for anything that forms a dense cluster or bunch of flexible material.
Tufted carpets became a status symbol in Victorian homes—the more tufting (decorative stitched dimples), the richer you were—and modern capitalist furniture stores still charge triple for tufted couches even though the tufts serve no practical purpose whatsoever.
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