baffle

baf·fle

 (băf′əl)

tr.v. baf·fled, baf·fling, baf·fles

1. To confuse or perplex, especially so as to frustrate or prevent from taking action: a patient whose condition baffled the physicians.

2. To impede the force or movement of (a fluid).

n.

1. A usually static device that regulates the flow of a fluid or light.

2. A partition that prevents interference between sound waves in a loudspeaker.

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[Perhaps blend of Scottish Gaelic bauchle, to denounce, revile publicly, and French bafouer, to ridicule.]

---

baf′fle·ment n.

baf′fler n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

baffle

(ˈbæfəl)

vb (tr)

1. to perplex; bewilder; puzzle

2. to frustrate (plans, efforts, etc)

3. (Mechanical Engineering) to check, restrain, or regulate (the flow of a fluid or the emission of sound or light)

4. (Mechanical Engineering) to provide with a baffle

5. obsolete to cheat or trick

n

a plate or mechanical device designed to restrain or regulate the flow of a fluid, the emission of light or sound, or the distribution of sound, esp in a loudspeaker or microphone

[C16: perhaps from Scottish dialect bachlen to condemn publicly; perhaps related to French bafouer to disgrace]

ˈbafflement n

ˈbaffler n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

baf•fle

(ˈbæf əl)

v. -fled, -fling,
n. v.t.

1. to confuse, bewilder, or perplex.

2. to frustrate or confound; thwart by creating confusion or bewilderment.

3. to check or deflect the movement of (sound, light, gases, etc.).

4. Obs. to cheat; trick.

n.

5. something that balks, checks, or deflects.

6. an artificial obstruction for checking or deflecting the flow of sounds, light, gases, etc.

7. any boxlike enclosure or flat panel for mounting a loudspeaker.

[1540–50; of uncertain orig.]

baf′fle•ment, n.

baf′fler, n.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

baffle

Past participle: baffled
Gerund: baffling

Imperative

baffle

baffle

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	baffle - a flat plate that controls or directs the flow of fluid or energy baffle board diffuser, diffusor - baffle that distributes sound waves evenly plate - a sheet of metal or wood or glass or plastic
Verb	1.	baffle - be a mystery or bewildering to; "This beats me!"; "Got me--I don't know the answer!"; "a vexing problem"; "This question really stuck me" bewilder, dumbfound, flummox, mystify, nonplus, perplex, puzzle, amaze, stupefy, gravel, vex, pose, stick, beat, get stump, mix up - cause to be perplexed or confounded; "This problem stumped her" befuddle, confound, confuse, discombobulate, fox, bedevil, fuddle, throw - be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly; "These questions confuse even the experts"; "This question completely threw me"; "This question befuddled even the teacher" riddle - set a difficult problem or riddle; "riddle me a riddle" elude, escape - be incomprehensible to; escape understanding by; "What you are seeing in him eludes me"
	2.	baffle - hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of; "What ultimately frustrated every challenger was Ruth's amazing September surge"; "foil your opponent" frustrate, queer, scotch, thwart, foil, bilk, cross, spoil disappoint, let down - fail to meet the hopes or expectations of; "Her boyfriend let her down when he did not propose marriage" foreclose, forestall, preclude, prevent, forbid - keep from happening or arising; make impossible; "My sense of tact forbids an honest answer"; "Your role in the projects precludes your involvement in the competitive project" dash - destroy or break; "dashed ambitions and hopes" short-circuit - hamper the progress of; impede; "short-circuit warm feelings" ruin - destroy or cause to fail; "This behavior will ruin your chances of winning the election"
	3.	baffle - check the emission of (sound) regulate confine, limit, throttle, trammel, restrain, restrict, bound - place limits on (extent or access); "restrict the use of this parking lot"; "limit the time you can spend with your friends"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

baffle

verb puzzle, beat (slang), amaze, confuse, stump, bewilder, astound, elude, confound, perplex, disconcert, mystify, flummox, boggle the mind of, dumbfound An apple tree producing square fruit is baffling experts.
puzzle explain, interpret, clarify, spell out, clear up, make plain, elucidate, explicate, shed or throw light upon

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

baffle

verb

To prevent from accomplishing a purpose:

balk, check, checkmate, defeat, foil, frustrate, stymie, thwart.

Informal: cross, stump.

Idiom: cut the ground from under.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

يُحيّـر ، يُربك

vyvést z míryzmást

forvirre

verwirren

tornavoz

déconcerterécran acoustique

zavarba ejt

vera/gera ráîòrota/hlessa

frustrareschermo acusticosconcertare

suglumintisunkiai išaiškinamassutrikdyti

mulsinātsamulsināt

forvirre

zbegati

afallatmakşaşırtmak

使困惑

baffle

[ˈbæfl]

A. VT

1. (= perplex) → desconcertar
at times you baffle me → a veces me desconciertas
the problem baffles me → el problema me tiene perplejo, no le veo solución alguna al problema
the police are baffled → la policía está desconcertada or perpleja

2. (frm) (= frustrate) [+ progress] → impedir; [+ plan, attempt] → frustrar
it baffles description → es imposible describirlo

B. N (also baffle board, baffle plate) → deflector m (Rad) → pantalla f acústica

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

baffle

[ˈbæf^əl] vt (= puzzle) → laisser perplexe

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

baffle

vt

(= confound, amaze) → verblüffen; (= cause incomprehension) → vor ein Rätsel stellen; a baffled look → ein verdutzter Blick; the police are baffled → die Polizei steht vor einem Rätsel; it really baffles me how … → es ist mir wirklich ein Rätsel, wie …; a case that baffled all the experts → ein Fall, der den Experten Rätsel aufgab; this one’s got me baffled → ich stehe vor einem Rätsel

(Tech) sound → dämpfen

n (also baffle plate: Aut) → Umlenkblech nt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

baffle

[ˈbæfl] vt (puzzle) → lasciare perplesso/a, confondere
it baffles me how she does it → non riesco a capire come faccia

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

baffle

(ˈbӕfl) verb

to puzzle (a person). I was baffled by her attitude towards her husband. dronkgeslaan يُحيّـر ، يُربك обърквам desconcertar zmást, vyvést z míry verwirren forvirre; være i vildrede μπερδεύω, φέρνω κπ. σε αμηχανία desconcertar segadusse ajama گیج کردن hämmentää déconcerter לְהַבִיך असमंजस में डालना zbuniti zavarba ejt heran vera/gera ráðþrota/hlessa sconcertare 困惑させる 당황하게 하다 sutrikdyti, sugluminti []mulsināt bingung in de war brengenforvirre, forbløffe zaskakiwać ويجاړول، شنډول، خرابول، خوارول، له كاره ايستل، خنډ غورځول espantar a zăpăci озадачивать vyviesť z miery zbegati zapanjiti förbrylla ทำให้งุนงง şaşırtmak, afallatmak 使困惑 збивати з пантелику اچنبھے میں پڑنا bối rối 使困惑

baffling adjective

a baffling crime. geheimsinnige, eienaardige مُحيّـر ، مُربك озадачаващ desconcertante záhadný vertrackt forbløffende; uforståelig δυσεπίλυτοςdesconcertante peamurdmist valmistav گیج کننده؛ پیچیده hämmentävä déroutant מְבַלבֵּל, לא מוּבָן चकरा देने वाला, विस्मयकारी zbunjujuć elképesztő mengherankan óskiljanlegur sconcertante 不可解な 당황하게 하는 sunkiai išaiškinamas mulsinošs; grūts membingungkan raadselachtigforbløffende, uforståeligzaskakujący ګيچ كوونكى،مغلق desconcertante deru­tant; enigmatic загадочный záhadný neverjeten, nepopisen zapanjujući förbryllande ที่น่างุนงง şaşırtıcı, afallatıcı 令人困惑的 важкий; незрозумілий چکرا دینے والا phức tạp 令人迷惑的

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