Puffer

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Puffer \Puff"er\, n.
     1. One who puffs; one who praises with noisy or extravagant
        commendation.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. One who is employed by the owner or seller of goods sold


        at suction to bid up the price; a by-bidder. --Bouvier.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Zool.)
        (a) Any plectognath fish which inflates its body, as the
            species of {Tetrodon} and {Diodon} of the family
            {Tetraodontidae}; -- called also {blower},
            {puff-fish}, {swellfish}, and {globefish}. They are
            highly poisonous due to the presence of glands
            containing a potent toxin, {tetrodotoxin}.
            Nevertheless they are eaten as a delicacy in Japan,
            being prepared by specially licensed chefs who remove
            the poison glands.
        (b) The common, or harbor, porpoise.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     4. (Dyeing) A kier.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  puffer
       n 1: delicacy that is highly dangerous because of a potent nerve
            poison in ovaries and liver [syn: {blowfish}, {sea squab}]
       2: any of numerous marine fishes whose elongated spiny body can
          inflate itself with water or air to form a globe; several
          species contain a potent nerve poison; closely related to
          spiny puffers [syn: {blowfish}, {globefish}]

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  PUFFER, commerce, contracts. A person employed by the owner of property 
  which is sold at auction to bid it up, who does so accordingly, for the 
  purpose of raising the price upon bona fide bidders. 
       2. This is a fraud which at the choice of the purchaser invalidates the 
  sale. 5 Madd. R. 37, 440; 3 Madd. R. 112; 12 Ves. 483; l Fonb. Eq. 227, n; 2 
  Kent, Com. 423; 11 Serg. & Rawle, 86; Cowp. 395; 3 Ves. jun. 628; 6 T. R. 
  642; 2 Bro. C. C. 326; 3 T. R. 93, 95; 1 P. A. Browne, Rep. 346; 2 Hayw. R. 
  328; Sugd. Vend. 16; 4 Harr. & McH. 282; 2 Dev. 126; 2 Const. Rep. 821;. 3 
  Marsh. 526.