ruff

Meanings

Noun

• 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.
• A collar on a shaft or other piece to prevent endwise motion.
• An exhibition of haughtiness or pride.
• Tumultuous or wanton conduct or procedure.
• Alternate spelling of ruffe: a small freshwater fish of the genus Gymnocephalus (genus); specifically the Eurasian ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua or Gymnocephalus cernuus (species)) which has spiny fins; the pope.
• Arripis georgianus (species), a fish found in cool waters off the southern coast of Australia; the Australian herring or tommy ruff.
• A bottom-dwelling carnivorous fish of the family Sparidae found in temperate and tropical waters; a porgy or sea bream.
• An instance of ruffing, or an opportunity to ruff, when unable to follow suit.
• A game similar to whist and its predecessor.
• A low, vibrating beat of a drum, quieter than a roll; a ruffle.

Verb

• 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.
• To play a trump card to a trick when unable to follow suit (that is, 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.
• To beat a ruff or ruffle, as on a drum.
• Of a drum, etc.: to have a ruff or ruffle beaten on it.

Interjection

• The bark of a dog; arf, woof.

Adjective

• Alternate spelling of rough.

Related

Similar words

• roughy
• trump

Origin

• Short form of ruffle, or possibly from rough.
• Possibly from rough.
• 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 ("hymn to Dionysius, thriambus"). The verb is derived from the noun. trump.
• onomatopoeia.