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Baffle in Scrabble and Meaning

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What does baffle mean? Is baffle a Scrabble word?

How many points in Scrabble is baffle worth? baffle how many points in Words With Friends? What does baffle mean? Get all these answers on this page.

Scrabble® and Words with Friends® points for baffle

See how to calculate how many points for baffle.

Is baffle a Scrabble word?

Yes. The word baffle is a Scrabble US word. The word baffle is worth 14 points in Scrabble:

B3A1F4F4L1E1

Is baffle a Scrabble UK word?

Yes. The word baffle is a Scrabble UK word and has 14 points:

B3A1F4F4L1E1

Is baffle a Words With Friends word?

Yes. The word baffle is a Words With Friends word. The word baffle is worth 16 points in Words With Friends (WWF):

B4A1F4F4L2E1

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Valid words made from Baffle

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Results

6-letter words (1 found)

BAFFLE,

5-letter words (2 found)

BLAFF,FABLE,

4-letter words (12 found)

ABLE,ALBE,ALEF,BAEL,BAFF,BALE,BEAL,BLAE,FEAL,FLAB,FLEA,LEAF,

3-letter words (13 found)

AFF,ALB,ALE,ALF,BAE,BAL,BEL,EFF,ELF,FAB,FAE,LAB,LEA,

2-letter words (11 found)

AB,AE,AL,BA,BE,EA,EF,EL,FA,FE,LA,

1-letter words (1 found)

E,

You can make 40 words from baffle according to the Scrabble US and Canada dictionary.

Definitions and meaning of baffle

baffle

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈbæfl̩/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈbæf(ə)l/
  • Rhymes: -æfəl
  • Hyphenation: baf‧fle

Etymology 1

The origin of the verb is uncertain; it is possibly:

  • from French bafouer, baffoüer (“to abuse, revile; to confuse, baffle; to deceive; to flout; to scorn”), imitative of someone making a disdainful sound by expelling air quickly through pouted lips (compare Occitan baf (“interjection expressing disdain”)); or
  • from French befer, beffer, beffler (“(obsolete) to deceive; to mock, ridicule”) (compare Old French befe, beffe, buffe (“deception; mockery”); beferie (“deceit; quibbling”)), possibly from bafouer: see above.

The noun is derived from the verb.

Verb

baffle (third-person singular simple present baffles, present participle baffling, simple past and past participle baffled)

  1. (transitive)
    1. To confuse or perplex (someone) completely; to bewilder, to confound, to puzzle. [from 17th c.]
      Synonyms: see Thesaurus:confuse
      Antonyms: clarify, enlighten, unbaffle
      They were baffled as to how the confusion could have arisen
    2. (archaic) To defeat, frustrate, or thwart (someone or their efforts, plans, etc.); to confound, to foil. [from 17th c.]
      Synonyms: see Thesaurus:defeat
      1. (specifically, nautical) Of weather or wind: to hinder or prevent (a ship or its crew) from advancing.
    3. (technology) To dampen, muffle, restrain, or otherwise control (a fluid, or waves travelling through a fluid such as light or sound).
    4. (obsolete)
      1. To deceive or hoodwink (someone); to gull. [16th–18th c.]
      2. Followed by away or out: to deprive of (something) through cheating or manipulation; also (followed by out of), to deprive of something by cheating or manipulating (someone).
  2. (intransitive)
    1. To expend effort or struggle in vain. [from 19th c.]
      Synonym: (Northern England) maffle
    2. (obsolete) To argue or complain in a petty or trivial manner; to quibble.
Conjugation
Alternative forms
  • baffol, bafful (both obsolete)
Derived terms
Translations

Noun

baffle (countable and uncountable, plural baffles)

  1. (countable, technology)
    2. A device used to dampen, muffle, restrain, or otherwise control the movement of a fluid, or waves travelling through a fluid such as light or sound; specifically, a surface positioned inside an open area to inhibit direct motion from one place to another without preventing motion altogether.
      sound baffle
    3. (US, dialectal, coal mining) A lever for operating the throttle valve of a winding engine.
  2. (uncountable) Bewilderment, confusion; bafflement; (countable) an instance of this.
    1. (by extension, countable) A barrier designed to confuse enemies or make them vulnerable.
  3. (obsolete, countable) An argument or objection based on an ambiguity of wording or similar trivial circumstance; a minor complaint; a quibble.
Derived terms
  • bafflectomy
  • baffle painting
  • bafflestone
Descendants
  • → French: baffle
  • → Spanish: bafle
Translations

Etymology 2

The origin of the verb is uncertain; it is possibly from Scots bauchle (“to annoy; to cause harm or trouble to; to disgrace; to jilt; to treat with contempt”), from bauchle (“useless or worn-out person or thing; clumsy work, bungle; clumsy or untidy person; contemptible person; laughing stock”); further etymology uncertain, possibly related to bauch (“feeble, sorry; backward, foolish”, adjective), possibly related to Old Norse bagr (“awkward, clumsy”), bāgr (“hard up, poor; uneasy”)

The noun is derived from the verb.

Verb

baffle (third-person singular simple present baffles, present participle baffling, simple past and past participle baffled) (transitive, obsolete)

  1. To publicly disgrace (someone); specifically, a recreant knight. [16th–17th c.]
  2. (generally) To treat (someone) with contempt; to disgrace; also, to speak of (someone or something) in contemptuous terms; to speak ill of, to vilify. [16th–17th c.]

Noun

baffle (countable and uncountable, plural baffles)

  1. (obsolete, uncountable) Intentional insult; affront; also, disgrace; (countable) an instance of this.

References

Further reading

  • sound baffle on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
  • baffle (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
  • Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “baffle”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English baffle.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bafl/

Noun

baffle m or f (plural baffles)

  1. speaker (audio)
    Synonym: haut-parleur

Source: wiktionary.org