stuff

Universal Words noun, verb noun [U] 1 (informal, sometimes disapproving) used to refer to a substance, material, group of objects, etc. when you do not know the name, when the name is not important or when it is obvious what you are talking about: What's all that sticky stuff on the carpet? * The chairs were covered in some sort of plastic stuff. * This wine is good stuff. * (disapproving) I don't know how you can eat that stuff! * They sell stationery and stuff (like that). * Where's all my stuff (= my possessions)? * (disapproving) Could you move all that stuff off the table? seealsoFOODSTUFF 2 (informal) used to refer in a general way to things that people do, say, think, etc: I've got loads of stuff to do today. * I like reading and stuff. * The band did some great stuff on their first album. * This is all good stuff. Well done! * What's all this 'Mrs Smith' stuff? Call me Anna. * I don't believe in all that stuff about ghosts. 3 ~ (of sth) (formal or literary) the most important feature of sth; something that sth else is based on or is made from: The trip was magical; the stuff of which dreams are made. * Parades and marches were the very stuff of politics in the region. * Let's see what stuff you're made of (= what sort of person you are). seealsoHOTSTUFF IDIOMS do your stuff (informal) to do what you are good at or what you have been trained to do: Some members of the team are just not doing their stuff (= doing as well as they should). * (figurative) The medicine has clearly done its stuff. not give a stuff (BrE, slang) to not care at all about sth stuff and nonsense exclamation (old-fashioned, informal) used by some people to say that they think that sth is stupid or not true moreatKIDn., KNOWv., STERNadj., STRUTv., SWEATv. verb 1 ~ A (with B)