muff
UK[mʌf]US[mʌf]
n
A short tube of thick cloth or fur into which the hands are placed for warmth.
n
A failure to catch or hold a ball in sports, especially in baseball or American football.
v
To handle something clumsily or to fail to catch or hold something, especially a ball.
Etymology
The word 'muff' entered the English language in the late 16th century from Dutch 'mof' or Low German 'muffe', both meaning a warm covering for the hands. Its earlier roots are obscure but likely connect to the Middle French 'moufle', also meaning a mitten. The original, concrete meaning of a hand-warmer naturally gave rise to the sporting sense in the 19th century; to "muff" a catch is to handle the ball as clumsily as if one's hands were encased in a muff. This etymological journey illustrates a common path where a noun denoting a physical object evolves into a verb describing an action metaphorically linked to that object's function.
Analysis
The word 'muff' is a simplex word. It is a loanword, entering English from Dutch or Low German, where it originally referred to a type of glove or mitten. Its ultimate origin is uncertain but may be related to Middle French 'moufle' (mitten).
Examples
She buried her cold hands deep inside her fur muff.
The catcher's muff in the ninth inning cost his team the game.
He completely muffed his lines during the crucial scene of the play.