ruff.
A circular frill or ruffle on a garment, especially a starched, fluted frill at the neck in Elizabethan and Jacobean England (1560s–1620s).
Meaning & usage
A circular frill or ruffle on a garment, especially a starched, fluted frill at the neck in Elizabethan and Jacobean England (1560s–1620s).
Anything formed with plaits or flutings like a frill.
Senses relating to animals. A gregarious, medium-sized wading bird of species Calidris pugnax (syn. Philomachus pugnax), of Eurasia; specifically, a male of the species which develops a distinctive ruff of feathers and ear tufts during mating season (the female is called a reeve).
Senses relating to animals. A set of lengthened or otherwise modified feathers on or around the neck of a bird.
Senses relating to animals. A collar of lengthened or distinctively coloured fur on or around the neck of an animal.
A collar on a shaft or other piece to prevent endwise motion.
An exhibition of haughtiness or pride.
Tumultuous or wanton conduct or procedure.
Where this word comes from
Clipping of ruffle, or possibly from rough.
To shape (fabric, etc.) into a ruff; to adorn (a garment, etc.) with a ruff.
Of a falcon, hawk, etc.: to hit (the prey) without fixing or grabbing hold of it.
To ruffle; to disorder.
Of a bird: to ruffle its feathers.
To boast, to brag.
To speak in a loud and domineering manner; to bluster, to swagger.
Where this word comes from
Clipping of ruffle, or possibly from rough.
Alternative spelling of ruffe: a small freshwater fish of the genus Gymnocephalus; specifically a Eurasian ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua or Gymnocephalus cernuus) which has spiny fins; the pope.
A fish of species Arripis georgianus, found in cool waters off the southern coast of Australia
A bottom-dwelling carnivorous fish of the family Sparidae found in temperate and tropical waters; a porgy or sea bream.
Where this word comes from
Possibly from rough.
To play a trump card to a trick when unable to follow suit (that is, when unable to play a card of the same suit as the previous or leading card).
Especially in the form ruff out: to defeat (a card, etc.) by ruffing, thus establishing the master card in the suit led.
Where this word comes from
From Old French roffle, rouffle (earlier romfle, ronfle), or from Italian ronfa (“card game similar to whist”); these words are possibly from Old French triomphe (“a triumph, victory”), Italian trionfo (“triumph; trump card”), from Latin triumphus (“hymn to Bacchus; celebration, triumph”), ultimately from Ancient Greek θρῐ́ᾰμβος (thrĭ́ămbos, “hymn to Dionysius, thriambus”). The verb is derived from the noun. Doublet of trump.
An instance of ruffing, or an opportunity to ruff, when unable to follow suit.
A game similar to whist and its predecessor.
Where this word comes from
From Old French roffle, rouffle (earlier romfle, ronfle), or from Italian ronfa (“card game similar to whist”); these words are possibly from Old French triomphe (“a triumph, victory”), Italian trionfo (“triumph; trump card”), from Latin triumphus (“hymn to Bacchus; celebration, triumph”), ultimately from Ancient Greek θρῐ́ᾰμβος (thrĭ́ămbos, “hymn to Dionysius, thriambus”). The verb is derived from the noun. Doublet of trump.
A low, vibrating beat of a drum, quieter than a roll; a ruffle.
Where this word comes from
Onomatopoeic.
To beat a ruff or ruffle, as on a drum.
Of a drum, etc.: to have a ruff or ruffle beaten on it.
Where this word comes from
Onomatopoeic.
The bark of a dog; arf, woof.
Where this word comes from
Onomatopoeic.
Alternative spelling of rough.
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.