‘Floof’ is an onomatopoeic word. It originates in the way that it sounds when it is said. It’s also a version of the word “fluffy”. But fluffy is an adjective and “floof” is a noun. It appears to be a social media creation derived from the fact that many domestic cats have nice fluffy fur coats and so the word means “a cat with a fluffy coat”.
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I don’t think you will find the word in the English dictionary but you will see it used a lot online on social media platforms such as Reddit. This is where people often share photographs of their cats and ask for comments. For example, the following on Reddit this morning:
“Said goodbye to this majestic floof”
u/emanonymous2 on Reddit
Here is the majestic floof. He is a shorthaired, ginger tabby which shows that the term refers to cats generally. He looks elderly and he must have been ready to cross the rainbow bridge. Goodbye you gorgeous floof.
It’s also a term of endearment and is normally used for cats with medium-long or long fur which is going to be fluffier. It’s a light-hearted and whimsical term which so perfectly describes a cuddly long-haired domestic cat companion.
