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tuft

1. A collection of small, flexible, or soft things in a knot or bunch; a waving or bending and spreading cluster; as, a tuft of flowers or feathers.

2. A cluster; a clump; as, a tuft of plants. Under a tuft of shade. (milton) Green lake, and cedar fuft, and spicy glade. (Keble)

3. A nobleman, or person of quality, especially in the english universities; so called from the tuft, or gold tassel, on the cap worn by them. Several young tufts, and others of the faster men. (T. Hughes)

Origin: Prov. E. Tuff, F. Touffe; of German origin; cf. G. Zopf a weft of hair, pigtail, top of a tree. See Top summit.