Толковый словарь английского языка Oxford English Reference - tuft

n. & v. --n. 1 a bunch or collection of threads, grass, feathers, hair, etc., held or growing together at the base. 2 Anat. a bunch of small blood-vessels. --v. 1 tr. provide with a tuft or tufts. 2 tr. make depressions at regular intervals in (a mattress etc.) by passing a thread through. 3 intr. grow in tufts. Derivatives tufty adj. Etymology: ME, prob. f. OF tofe, toffe, of unkn. orig.: for -t cf. GRAFT(1)