Small bunches or clumps of threads, grass, hair, or other material held or growing together.
From Old French toffe, touffe meaning 'tuft of hair.' Related to top and possibly Germanic roots referring to elevated or protruding parts. The word has maintained its meaning of clustered, projecting bundles for over 500 years.
Tufts University was named after its benefactor Charles Tufts, but the word's connection to clustered growth makes it accidentally perfect for an institution where knowledge clusters and grows. In biology, tufted arrangements often indicate adaptation for maximum surface area or protection.
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