Ruff

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ɹʌf/
• Rhymes: -ÊŒf
• Homophones: rough

A shortening of ruffle

Full definition of ruff

Noun

1. A gregarious, medium-sized wading bird of Eurasia, Philomachus pugnax; a rail.
1. A male rail. (The female is a reeve).
2. Alternative spelling of ruffe a small freshwater fish; a pope.
3. A circular frill or ruffle on a garment, especially a starched, fluted frill at the neck in Elizabethan and Jacobean England.
• Wodehouse Offing|XII|“When we first forgathered, I was sitting on the floor with a chair round my neck.” “Like an Elizabethan ruff, as worn by Thomas Botway.” “Otway,” I said stiffly.
4. Anything formed with plaits or flutings, like the frill.
• unknown date Alexander PopeI reared this flower; ...
  Soft on the paper ruff its leaves I spread.
5. (obsolete) An exhibition of pride or haughtiness.
• unknown date L'EstrangeHow many princes ... in the ruff of all their glory, have been taken down from the head of a conquering army to the wheel of the victor's chariot!
6. (obsolete) Wanton or tumultuous procedure or conduct.
• unknown date Latimerto ruffle it out in a riotous ruff
7. (military) A low, vibrating beat of a drum, quieter than a roll; a ruffle.
8. (engineering) A collar on a shaft or other piece to prevent endwise motion.
9. A set of lengthened or otherwise modified feathers on or around the neck of a bird.

Verb

1. To ruffle; to disorder.
2. (military) To beat with the ruff or ruffle, as a drum.
3. (hawking) To hit (the prey) without fixing it.

Noun

1. A card game similar to whist, and the predecessor of it.

Verb

1. (cards) To play a trump card to a trick, other than when trumps were led

Synonyms

• trump

Derived terms

• overruff
• underruff

Adjective

1. (colloquial) Alternative spelling of rough

Onomatopoeic.

Interjection

1. The bark of a dog; woof.