This is from [Yuki-onna](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuki-onna):

> Mosaku no kao ni iki wo fu-tsu to fukikaketa.

The "fuutsu/fu-tsu" is written in katakana and is most likely an onomatopoeic
word, related to breathing. It's not essential to the translation, but it's
really bugging me.
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katakana adverbs onomatopoeia gemination
What does "fūtsu" mean?
This is either a typo or a "reado".

Trying to reconstruct the original sentence from your _rōmaji_ version, I'm
guessing it is

> 茂作の顔に息をフーッと吹きかけた

フーッと is listed in some dictionaries (e.g. WWWJDIC)

> **ふーっと**  
>  **フーッと**  
>  (adv,on-mim)
>
> _with a whiff; with a puff_

The ッ is small (compare ッ with ツ) and is geminating the following "t" sound.
The romanization of the small _tsu_ is done by doubling the following
consonant, so _f­ūtto_ (and not ~~_fūtsu to_~~ ).

You're correct in assuming it's an onomatopoeia and it's usually used for the
sound produced when breathing out (either forcefully, or with a sound).

By the way, there are other onomatopoeic words that follow this pattern.
Either they are written in all hiragana, or in katakana with only the と in
hiragana:

  * じーっと or ジーッと
  * ぼーっと or ボーッと

or more generally also

  * ささっと or ササッと
  * ぎゅっと or ギュッと
  * etc.

(Here と is written in hiragana for its grammatical function — it is turning an
onomatopoeic expression into a " _to_ -adverb", see for example [What is the
purpose of adding と?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/24943/1628) and the
linked questions listed over on that question under "Related".)
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answer