Illustration of ruff
- ruff 1
ruff
1 of 4noun (1)
ˈrəf 
variants or ruffe
: a small freshwater European perch (Acerina cernua)
ruff
2 of 4noun (2)
1
: a large round collar of pleated muslin or linen worn by men and women of the late 16th and early 17th centuries
2
: a fringe or frill of long hairs or feathers growing around or on the neck of an animal
3
: a common Eurasian sandpiper (Philomachus pugnax) whose male during the breeding season has a large ruff of erectile feathers on the neck
ruffed
ˈrəft
adjective ruff
3 of 4verb
ruffed; ruffing; ruffs
intransitive verb
: to take a trick with a trump
transitive verb
: to play a trump on (a card previously led or played)
ruff
4 of 4noun (3)
: the act of trumping
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English ruf
Noun (2)
probably back-formation from ruffle
Verb
Middle French roffler
First Known Use
Noun (1)
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Noun (2)
1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1598, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Noun (3)
circa 1828, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
ruff
noun
ˈrəf
1
: a large round collar of pleated fabric worn by men and women in the 16th and 17th centuries
2
: a fringe of long hairs or feathers growing around or on the neck of an animal
ruff
noun
as in plait
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- plait
- fringe
- trim
- edging
- pleat
- skirting
- flounce
- ruffle
- border
- frill
- bunting
- furbelow
- painfulnesses
- painims
- paining
- painkiller
- painkillers
- painkilling
- painless
- painlesslier
- painlessliest
- painlessly
- painlessness
- painlessnesses
- Painlevé
- pains
- pains in the neck
- painstaker
- painstakers
- painstaking
- painstakingly
- painstakingnesses
- painstakings
- painsworthy
- paint
- paint a picture of
- paint a rosy picture